Eastward To Our Destiny
by PopRockShawty
Summary: Vol.3 of ASGA co-written w/ HQP. Set in VDT. While family has a whole new meaning to Gilda, can Susan and Tyrone maintain control when dark forces corrupt their hearts and minds? Plenty of tricks and trials await our beloved characters as they set out on a journey taking them eastward to their destinies.
1. Morning

**A/n: Welcome to volume #3 of A Second Golden Age! Please make sure you have read the prequels 'Chances' and 'Her Majesty the Queen' before diving right into this story. Many thanks to all the readers and reviewers of the previous volumes. Without further ado, here is the continuation of the cliffhanger we left you on. ;D**

* * *

 **(Cair Paravel, Narnia)**

~Chester's POV~

"Bates? Hey, are you alright?" Colson knocked on the door again. "May I come in?"

"Shit," I said frantically, somehow finding the sense to keep my voice down. "Shit, shit, shit."

Lucy climbed off me, absolutely horrified. Nobody could know that she was here, especially after what happened last night, meaning her engagement. If Colson were to walk right in and see us in this…titillating position, we would have a lot of explaining to do, and that was the last thing I wanted. Because Lucy and I were arguing and I was desperate to get her to leave, we did not even lock the door, so now Colson could walk in at any minute. Gosh, we were two idiots, at each other's throats one minute, and making out on the bed the next minute.

"What do we do now?" Lucy whispered, picking up her garments from the floor.

I followed suit and raised my voice so Colson could hear me. "Yes, yes, I'm perfectly alright!" I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "Just give me a minute, I'm…uh…I'm just…getting dressed!" I added, and put my clothes on as quickly as possible.

"Where do I go?!" Lucy whispered again, smacking my arm to draw my attention this time.

"Um, under the bed?" I pointed, not at all knowing what to do.

"No, of course not!" She whispered fiercely.

"Uh, the…the bathroom?" I suggested, fastening my belt buckle.

"Are you ready yet, Bates?!" Colson asked again, sounding more impatient this time.

"Wait! Um, just a moment, Colson, please, just give me a second, I'll be real quick," I babbled, shoving Lucy into the bathroom. She locked the bathroom door as quickly and as quietly as she could, as I bolted toward the door to let Colson in, trying to look sleepy so that I could lure her into believing that I had only just got up. "It is _way_ too early to be annoying, Colson," I grumbled, sitting back on my bed.

Once she walked inside my room she looked around and frowned at the sight: a boot, a tunic, a jacket, scattered all over the floor.

"Whoa, what happened here?!" She questioned.

"What?" I rubbed my eyes and yawned. "What happened here, Colson?"

"Look at your room, Bates! It is a mess! Goodness gracious, your clothes are all over the place, and this is just so very uncharacteristic of you. I swear, you are the tidiest person I know; that was why I made you my undersecretary. You and Queen Susan could probably have a neatness contest — but honestly, this place, it is just…" she shook her head. "Bates, was someone here with you just now?"

My hands began to tremble and my mind went blank. Did she hear something?!

"Huh?" I ended up conjuring meaningless monosyllabic utterance, so that I would not raise her suspicions any more than I already had.

"You know, was Louisa here just now? I mean, well, you and Louisa, a few drinks and a bed," she said suggestively, shrugging.

"Oh," I said, sighing in relief. She thought it was Louisa. Thank goodness. "Well, maybe she was here, maybe she was not here," I answered strategically. "Why?"

"Never mind. I just came to check on you because I thought you seemed upset last night. You know, you left, right after Lucy announced her engagement. You didn't even tell me about it and had me looking for you all over the ballroom. I thought you had snuck out again and gotten into a bloody fight."

"Oh, well, that was…not at all what happened. I was just…no, I wasn't upset about anything," I lied, feeling horrible about lying to my best friend.

"Bates, you know that if you are upset, you can talk to me, right. I am _always_ on your side, and look at me: I've got a big belly, so how fast can I run? I can't; I am _always_ here for you. I know that you are most likely not happy with the news of Lucy's engagement because you have feelings for her, and trust me, I would _really_ like to have you as my brother in law, but –"

I stood up abruptly. I knew that Colson preferred me as Lucy's partner rather than Marquess Xavier, but right now Lucy was in the bathroom and I bet she could hear our entire conversation, so the last thing I wanted was for her to listen to her sister in law talk trash about her fiancé. Sure, I did not like him, but I did not want Lucy to have to hear that. So I rose to my feet and led Colson out to the door.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about me, Colson. I'm fine. Thanks for checking on me, though," I said hastily, but she frowned when we were at the door.

"Are you kicking your best friend out of your room?" She folded her arms.

"No, it's not that. It's not like that, really. But I just woke up and I should probably take a bath because…well," I sighed. "You know, me and Louisa, a few drinks and a bed…" I explained humorously, quoting her.

She nodded slowly, but still had that questionable look on her face. I tried my hardest not to look nervous, but she just knew me so well, I thought she could see right through me.

"Alright," she said after what felt like months and years. "We can talk later. I'm sorry if I woke you though. I was just concerned. I probably would have barged into your room at 2 in the morning last night had Edmund not stopped me. I'm glad I didn't because I wouldn't have wanted to have walked in on you and Louisa in the middle of something."

"I know, and it's fine. I'm alright. Trust me," I smiled, and she left. This time, I made sure to lock the door. "You can come out now," I tapped on the bathroom door.

Lucy, now decently dressed, walked out, still looking tense. "Thank Aslan. I thought we were in deep trouble. Do you think Gilda got suspicious?"

"Perhaps slightly, but it's not too bad. I can handle her," I replied.

"Good," she sighed. "By the way, have you seen my cardigan?"

"Oh," I looked around the room and found it on a chair. "Here," I handed it to her.

"Thanks," she said, recovering from the sudden interruption. "I better go. Before anybody else finds us."

I nodded and unlocked the door, opening it and peeking outside to make sure that the coast was clear. When I confirmed that it was, Lucy exited my room hastily.

* * *

~Gilda's POV~

Once Bates shut the door, I blinked twice. I had spotted Lucy's cardigan hung on the chair. There could be no mistake, because I, out of all people, would be able to recognize that cardigan. I gave that to Lucy for her birthday, so how could I get it wrong?

Now everything became clear to me. I had figured out why Bates was so, so desperate to get me out of his room. And why he took so, so long to open the door. And why he looked so, so nervous to see me. Because Lucy was with him, in his bedroom, probably hiding somewhere. But hey, contrary to popular belief, I was not a cold-blooded monster. I preferred to not put my best friend into a compromising position, even though of course I did not appreciate that he was lying to me, so I pretended to buy the excuse he had given me.

Still, Lucy, newly engaged, yet was doing something...unorthodox with Bates? And by 'something unorthodox', I meant that they probably had sex. They were both cheating. They were both two-timing. Naturally, I was no one to judge, but I did not know what to make of this.

* * *

~Ines' POV~

I felt as if I had been asleep for months. But when I was finally awake, and I rolled over to my side and opened my eyes, it was the best morning I had ever had in my life, because I got to wake up to Peter's smile. Suddenly I had the urge to pull the covers further up to cover my body, but then, it had quickly sunk in that I was married now, so there was really nothing to cover up.

"Hey," he said tenderly. "Did you sleep well?"

I nodded and smiled. "I don't think I had ever slept so well in my life," I answered.

Suddenly his stomach growled, causing both of us to laugh.

"Well, someone is hungry, I see," I giggled.

"Come on, I can't be the only one. Surely _you_ must be hungry too," he chuckled.

"That is indeed true," I replied, while he was the first to find the energy to get out of bed, putting his clothes on.

"I'm going to get Duchess Lavinia and Marchioness Sonya to prepare you for breakfast. I'll see you in the dining room, alright?" He grinned.

I nodded and beamed at him, watching him exit the room. I got up and put my nightgown on, because, well, I could not be completely naked, even though I was going to change into some day clothes. My ladies in waiting arrived shortly and helped me get ready, but before we were done, Peter had burst into the room once more. I took a peek behind the screen but I was surprised to see that Peter looked as if he had just seen a ghost, looking pale all of a sudden with his eyes wide open and his jaw dropped.

"Are you alright?" I inquired worriedly.

"I…I'm fine…"

"Well, you don't look very fine. What's wrong?" I enquired, frowning.

"Uh…" he hesitated. Oh, right, he wanted some confidentiality. Signaling for Sonya and Lavinia to make haste, they dressed me up promptly and left the room.

"Alright. Now you can tell me what's happened," I said.

"I saw Lucy in the hallway just now," he reported.

I rolled my eyes. "Peter, seeing your sister in the corridor is not a valid reason to look so…taken aback."

"No, I mean, she…I saw her exit a bedroom, but not _her_ bedroom," he explained.

I nodded slowly, beginning to catch up. "I see. Well, now that she is engaged to Marquess Xavier, and they are obviously in love, I reckon it would be normal that they would want to show their love…physically," I said calmly. Ah, I remembered that just less than a year ago I was so, so, so against the idea of sex before marriage, but now I was gladly accepting the idea of it. Probably because now I had come to understand why some people would not want to wait. "However," I added as I suddenly thought of something. "If my memory serves me right, His Lordship does not have guest chambers here at Court. He resides in Ridgeway Manor with his family, which…is not far from here, right?"

"That…that is exactly the problem. It wasn't Marquess Xavier's chambers that I saw Lucy come out from either. If it were his bedroom, I would have understood, and I wouldn't have much of a problem with it, since he is her fiancé after all, but that was not at all the case," he replied anxiously.

"Then whose bedroom did she walk out from?" I questioned.

"Duke Chester's," he answered.

"Oh…you mean, Gilda's best friend?" I asked. When he nodded in response, I pressed on. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am, unless my eyes had tricked me."

"Well…wow, I really wasn't expecting that either, but…let's just…try not to jump to conclusions or make any assumptions. We shouldn't immediately think that Lucy had spent the night with him or something like that," I said, breathing deeply and trying to be as calm as possible.

"But her hair was messy and she was adjusting her clothes…as if she had put them on in a hurry…" he stated.

"You think Lucy slept with Lord Odessa?" I inquired quietly.

"Yes, that's what I think, and I'd never thought I would be saying this, but I really want to be wrong," he admitted.

"Um…alright, well, I doubt that, because isn't His Grace courting Lavinia's younger sister? He's courting Lady Louisa Woodville, right? Gilda's lady in waiting. So…I really don't think he would wind up in bed with a Queen…?" I said slowly and with much uncertainty.

"I don't know what to think, frankly speaking."

"Maybe we should talk to Gilda and Edmund about it. I think they know the Duke of Odessa better than we do," I suggested.

"Yes, we should," he nodded in agreement. "Anyway, you're ready, right? Let's go for breakfast first."


	2. Arguments

**A/n: Thank you PeterCaspianRlz, LOVEM, QueenElenaofnarnia, BlueSky, Aslanmane, GoldenAgeNarnia, QueenLucyfan, Connors, thefourpevensies, CairParavel, Nicky, Narniafan, Emily, EC, Anon, katines4ever, Emma, Bella, Guest, EdmundPevensie for evermore, Eleni Archibald, crown, Lillian, Candy, Daisy, RedRose, Royal, InesS, CorinQueen, Sue,** **and all the other guests. :DDD**

* * *

 **(Cair Paravel, Narnia)**

~Tyrone's POV~

As soon as Lady Marta left the room, Susan tied her hair into a bun. Even though I preferred it when she wore her hair down, she looked quite sophisticated with a bun, which I liked too. Honestly, I would like it no matter how she wore her hair. My beautiful wife.

There was something I had been thinking about for a while now. It was my last thought before I fell asleep last night, but now that I suddenly remembered it, I figured I ought to speak to Susan about it, since this ordeal required approval from a regnant ruler of Narnia, and I was just a consort. I was thinking that if Susan liked this idea of mine then it could be considered reality already.

"Susan, dear," I began sweetly.

"Yes, Tyrone, dear?" She replied, putting her perfume on.

"There's something about Xavier that I want to talk to you about," I explained. "I was thinking that since he and Lucy got engaged, perhaps we could give him a title. Like, a ducal title."

"Oh?" She looked surprised. "Why, though? When we got engaged you didn't get an additional title."

I frowned. I really thought that she would agree right away and tell me that it was a great idea, but apparently I had presumed too much.

"Why? Because he's going to be our brother in law soon and he's such a good friend of mine. _Our_ friend, actually," I iterated. I began to regret even sharing this idea with her and consulting with her about dubbing Xavier a Duke, and my tone was starting to show that. "But I see that you don't quite approve of the idea, so forget it. Just pretend I didn't say anything about this." I walked toward the door, about to head to the dining room for breakfast.

"Wait," she said patiently, causing me to turn around to face her, albeit a bit irritably. "I never said that I don't like the idea. It's just that we simply can't make someone a Duke, solely because he's close to us. It would be a show of favoritism and I do not wish to be that kind of a ruler. Even if I had made that mistake before, I do not wish to repeat it. Xavier is a good person, I'm sure, but he needs to earn the title."

"Yes, but Gilda made that...Sir Chester a Duke, and nobody has ever voiced out any complaints about that. Or when Caspian made Katrina a Marchioness. Nobody said anything about it either. So why shouldn't I be allowed to give a title to a good friend of mine? I really think that Xavier deserves to own land in his own right. Besides, it's not fair that the official fiancé of a Queen of Old gets no title, considering it's a palace-sanctioned relationship, especially when simply a King's courter can have _two_ peerages. Or when simply a friend of the High Queen of Archenland can be given a dukedom. What have they ever done to earn their titles?"

"Tyrone, is this about the feud between Xavier and Duke Chester because of Lucy? You want to make it up to your friend by dubbing him a Duke as well?" She folded her arms and looked at me critically.

I sighed, adopting a more pleading tone than a harsh one. "Is it such a crime to want to stand up for my friend and back him up?"

"No, Tyrone. But you've been a King of Narnia for almost 7 months now, and you know that's not how it works. We don't really know why Gilda bestowed the dukedom of Odessa on His Grace; she could have had plenty of reasons on her own, and she doesn't owe us any explanation. I don't think it would be proper to criticize her for bestowing a peerage upon her own subject; we're in no position to comment on that. As for Katrina, well, she did earn the viscountcy of Selby. Regarding the marquessate of Norwalk, though, it's a special case, because you know, just as well as I do, that it had belonged to Caspian's mother, Queen Adelaide, and it had once belonged to Caspian himself, so it is entirely up to him who he wants to pass the land and the title to. He's got the right and the liberty."

"Whatever," I shook my head, seeing no point in pursuing this conversation.

"Tyrone, please. I'm not saying no to your request —"

"But you're not saying yes either —"

"But please try to understand that I really doubt the others will agree. Anyway, it's also entirely possible that _Lucy_ will take matters into her own hands and give her fiancé a title, so don't worry, alright? Because honestly the last thing I want is for us to quarrel on the first day of the year. Or quarrel at all," she pointed out.

"Alright," I nodded a little gloomily even though she kissed me in an attempt to cheer me up. "Let's go and have breakfast."

* * *

~Chronicler's POV~

At dinnertime, King Edmund and Queen Gilda were the first to arrive at the table. 4 royal couples would be present at dinner tonight, with the exception of Queen Lucy and Marquess Xavier because they were going to be having dinner in Ridgeway Manor with the ducal family of Millville.

Minutes later, King Peter and Queen Ines arrived, taking their seats.

"There you are, you two. Where were the two of you all day? We couldn't even catch a word with you," said Peter, placing his napkin on his lap.

"Yes, we went to the midwife today for a checkup, to see how our tiny human was doing," Edmund answered, his voice slightly muffled because he was stuffing a loaf of bread into his mouth after dipping it into olive oil and vinegar.

"And how is your tiny human doing then?" Ines inquired.

"Thankfully, everything is alright and on schedule. It's a relief," Gilda smiled. "Due in the third week of February."

"But you wanted to have a word with us, Pete?" Edmund enquired.

Peter decided to tell his brother and sister-in-law about what he had witnessed this morning, concerning Lucy. Once he was done, Gilda also reported what she saw and found out.

"So it's true then. Lucy and Duke Chester slept together," Peter said in despair.

"Well, we don't know that for sure," said Ines neutrally, placing her hand on top of her husband's.

The three others shot Ines a weird look. Peter blinked, flummoxed. "Honey, did you even listen to what Ed and G told you? G saw Lucy's cardigan in Chester's bedroom; I can't come up with any other explanation for that."

"And the way that Bates' clothes were scattered on the floor made it seem as if someone was getting naked in a hurry," Gilda continued.

"And let's not forget that Lucy was hiding, which means she did not want anyone to know that she was there, and Chester was guarding that secret too," Edmund added.

Ines sighed, knowing that the evidence was indicating that Lucy and Duke Chester had had an affair. "But then we can't be 100% sure. I mean, Gilda, I think you, out of everybody, would know this best. Remember the time when Caspian caught you exiting Edmund's bedroom when you were still betrothed to him?"

"Yes, that was so many months ago...but yes, I do remember, of course I do. And I do get your point...not everything is as it seems. But I don't know what to believe, apart from the most obvious conclusion that Lucy did have an affair with Bates," Gilda admitted.

"Whoa, gossiping without me," said King Caspian, who had just entered the room with Marchioness Katrina, hand in hand. They were followed by Queen Susan and King Tyrone, also holding hands. As soon as they were seated, Peter and Gilda explained to the two other couples what they were discussing.

When they were finished, there was a moment of dead silence at the dinner table. Tyrone, in particular, was gripping his napkin really tightly with his jaw tightly clenched, clearly livid. Susan frowned in disbelief, while Caspian and Katrina were speechless.

"Are you sure about that...?" Katrina asked tentatively.

"Of course. I know my sister. She was exiting Duke Chester's bedroom, like she just got up from a good night's sleep," Peter iterated.

Kat hesitated. She knew that Lucy was a normal teenager with hormones that gave rise to carnal needs, but cheating on her new fiancé was something Kat found difficult to believe.

Tyrone could not hold his temper in anymore. Twisting the napkin in his hand and throwing it back onto his plate, he turned to look at Susan and snapped, "See? I told you. Now you understand why I want Xavier to be a Duke. It's exactly because of this. Once again. His _Grace_ is humiliating my friend by having an affair with his fiancée, because he's a Duke and the best friend of his High Queen, right here," he jabbed a finger at Gilda. "That's why he thinks he can have any girl he wants, even if he is engaged to another already. Honestly, Gilda, is that the type of person you want to be best friends with?!"

Susan quickly grabbed her husband's arm, trying to calm him down. She did not want there to be a rift between her family members, especially not one involving Gilda due to her condition at the moment, but Tyrone pretty much ignored his wife.

Edmund grasped Gilda's hand. "Hey, honey, no, please, don't get angry. Not good for you, not good for Tiny," he whispered.

Still, Gilda stared at Tyrone, appalled. "What are you implying?!"

"I'm not implying anything. I'm telling the truth. How can I just remain silent and tolerate Lord Odessa's disrespectful actions?" Tyrone protested.

"Tyrone, you should watch the way you're speaking to my wife," Edmund warned.

"No, it's fine. Let him speak," Gilda said to her husband, then turned back to Tyrone icily. "What has this subject of mine ever done to make you think that he has disrespected you?"

Tyrone huffed. "Ever since he's arrived at my Court, he's _never_ left Lucy alone. I honestly believe that he wants to separate Lucy from Xavier, and there's _nothing_ that he wouldn't do to accomplish that. Part of his efforts to pursue Lucy includes asking you to make him a Duke, because as we all know, as simply _Sir_ Chester Bates he would _never_ stand a chance against Xavier. He's a prick and he should leave Lucy alone; it's harassment. Especially now that she is _engaged_ to Xavier."

Gilda scowled. "You've got a lot of nerve laying the blame on _His Grace_ 's shoulders. For your information, even if it isn't any of your damn business, I don't mind telling you that he didn't _ask_ me to bestow a peerage upon him. He's never had to _ask_ me for favors like this. Edmund and I had decided to make him a Duke because he's exposed a criminal and saved a life. His fealty to his Queen and his country is acknowledged by my entire Court. That's why he deserves to have a dukedom. On the other hand, what has your dear and precious friend of a Marquess ever done? Nothing; he's never made any contributions, therefore there are no grounds to grant him a dukedom on. And, if Lucy has really slept with the Duke of Odessa then it shows that she knows who the right one for her is." She was in fuming rage in her best friend's defense, and nobody had ever seen her that furious before, not even when she had a row with Ines back when Katrina was accused of stealing from Lucy.

"The right one for her?! Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Lucy is not single and neither is Chester. He's cheating on her courter to have an affair with Lucy; how is that at all a healthy relationship?! He's never left her alone; all he does is follow her around every time he comes to Court, that is, if he's not already following _you_ around like a dog. He even tried to undress Lucy and had Xavier not cut in at the right moment, they probably would have done the deed right there. It's a cold night and all but I bet he wants to warm her up," Tyrone spat.

"Hey, Tyrone, now you're disrespecting my sister as well and I don't appreciate that," Peter cut in.

"Well, it was disrespectful of Lucy in the first place, since she cheated on Xavier. And since he didn't let them continue on the night of Susan's birthday, they took last night and this morning as the chance to finish what they started during their night tryst a fortnight ago," Tyrone snarled.

"Both Lucy and Chester had already explained what was happening! Your _friend_ is an uncivilized, uncultured swine who thinks he can just come up to people and punch them in the face. He has absolutely no manners and he does _not_ have what it takes to be a Duke, let alone a _King_ of Narnia!" Gilda scoffed.

"At least _my_ best friend doesn't follow me around like a dog, or sexually harass a Queen, or cheat," Tyrone argued loudly.

"What the fuck?!" Gilda barked.

Tyrone growled. "Bitch, did I fucking stutter?!"

"Hey, that's enough!" Caspian exclaimed, slamming his palm on the table, causing the goblets to shake and their contents almost spilling over. Everybody shut up immediately. "Look at you! Both of you! You should be ashamed of yourselves! Is this how a ruler of Narnia is supposed to act?! Real mature, you two. Real professional. I will not tolerate that kind of behavior. We are having a family dinner here, so we might as well start acting like a family."

"Look, he started this," Gilda pointed out. "How can I just stand idly by when someone in the _family_ is insulting my best friend like that?"

"I don't give a fuck who started it. He may have started it but you definitely continued it. But now _I'm_ going to be the one to end it, for good. We are going to have a proper New Year meal without getting into arguments, and that's final," Caspian said sternly, taking control. When nobody uttered another word, he signaled for the waiters and waitresses to serve their food. The 8 of them ended up having their meal in awkwardness, the tension between Tyrone and Gilda clearly still affecting everybody at the table.


	3. Afterthoughts

**A/n: Thank you EC, thefourpevensies, katines4ever, royal, crown, Anon, Guest, LOVEM, PeterCaspianRlz, QueenElenaofnarnia, BlueSky, Narniafan, Emily, Nicky, Eleni Archibald, RedRose, Daisy, CairParavel, Lillian, Candy, Sue, CorinQueen, InesS, Bella, Emma, QueenLucyfan, Aslanmane, Connors, GoldenAgeNarnia, and all the other guests. ;DD**

* * *

 **(Cair Paravel, Narnia)**

~Chronicler's POV~

As soon as dinner was finished, Queen Susan and King Tyrone fled the table, while King Caspian brought Marchioness Katrina back to his chambers. The two remaining couples stayed behind for a chat. The tension was not so bad now but the awkwardness still lingered.

"I can't believe Tyrone had said all those horrible things, especially about Lucy. I think he was a little too harsh," Queen Ines remarked.

"A _little_?! By that you mean a _lot_. Well, finally he has shown us his true colors," Queen Gilda said disdainfully, rubbing her forehead. "This is giving me the biggest headache ever."

"You should take some rest," said King Edmund worriedly right away, not wanting anything bad to happen to Gilda or to their tiny human.

"I want to have a word with Lucy first," said King Peter decisively, standing up, not yet letting go of his wife's warm hand, squeezing it to draw some sense of soothing peace amidst the conflict going on in the family.

"Now? Are you sure?" Edmund inquired.

"I think we should hear it straight from our sister about what really happened. We should hear her account of it too. Don't you think so, brother?"

"Yes. Alright. But I…" Edmund replied, turning to look at Gilda.

"I can escort Gilda back to her chambers," Ines volunteered.

"Would you please? Thanks, because I haven't been able to face Louisa today, knowing that I am aware that she might be cheated on, while she is completely oblivious to it," Gilda said.

Ines nodded, and so the two Queens set off.

* * *

~Lucy's POV~

I had just returned to my own room after dinner with my future in-laws. I had such a lovely time; the food was so good – I wish their new chef worked at Court instead – and I was so honored to get to call the Ridgeways my family. I was planning to take a bath, so I was about to dismiss Greta, but then somebody had knocked on my door.

"I can go get it, Queen Lucy," Greta offered. So she did, while I rummaged through a drawer.

"Greta, who is it?" I inquired, raising my voice.

"Your royal brothers, Your Majesty," she reported. "Shall I let Their Majesties in?"

"Yes, of course," I said as I took off my earrings, placing them into the box where they belonged. As I was standing right in front of my mirror, I could see my brothers' faces and they looked absolutely serious, as if they were about to lecture me for a minor misdemeanor.

"Thank you, Greta," I said, biting back a sigh. "You may go. I will see you tomorrow in the morning."

"Goodnight, my Queen," she curtsied and took her leave, shutting the door gently.

Eyeing my brothers unenthusiastically, I enquired, "should I pour myself a drink so I can be prepared for whatever it is you two are planning to say to me?" I paused, eyeing the new wine collection that Duke Reginald had insisted on giving me just now. I had placed it on the counter and Greta had helped me organize the bottles into a neat configuration. "Or maybe it's you two who need a drink more than I do. You look way too...stern."

"You will probably need the drink more when you've heard us out," said Peter truthfully.

"Yeah...because we know everything, Lucy," Edmund added.

"Know everything about what?" I narrowed my eyes at them, deciding to sit down in the armchair opposite to the couch they were sitting on.

"You know what. Gilda saw your cardigan in Duke Chester's bedroom," Edmund replied.

"And I saw you exiting his bedroom too," Peter added.

I was grateful that I did not take that drink, because otherwise I would have spluttered and spat out my drink unceremoniously. "Wait," I gulped, although I put on a collected exterior. In spite of the panic in my heart, I could maintain my composure, simply because I was good like that. "I can explain."

"You probably can. I'm sure you can," Peter stated indifferently. "But you don't have to. At least not to us."

"Exactly. If there is anyone you owe an explanation to, it would be Xavier," Edmund pointed out.

"It's just that...we are a little shocked because we did not expect you to just go ahead and sleep with another guy, right after getting engaged to Xavier," Peter admitted.

Another moment where I was thankful that I was not drinking anything or holding anything in my hands. "What?! I did _not_ sleep with Chester, if that is what you are thinking," I said defensively right away.

"But Lucy, Gilda told us that she saw Chester's clothes all over the floor, and when you exited his room, Peter saw the state you were in. All flustered, with the messiest hair ever. You _know_ what we are talking about," Edmund explained.

"I do, but you're wrong! I did _not_ have sex with Chester," I reiterated. When they did not seem to buy it, judging from the looks on their faces, I said, "I'm telling you the truth! What, you don't believe your own sister?" I raised my eyebrows. "I mean, yes, I was a mess because Chester and I were making out like there's no tomorrow, but we did _not_ actually engage in any...act because Gilda knocked on the door."

My brothers exchanged a look of disbelief. "So..." said Peter. "You mean to say that if Gilda had _not_ interrupted, then you and Chester would have...?"

After a pause, I nodded, guiltlessly, which made me feel guilty, ironically.

"Lu, you are engaged! If you want to be with Chester, then why agree to marry Xavier?" Edmund inquired.

"Because I do love Xavier! As a matter of fact, I was the one who proposed to him," I revealed, causing them to gawk at me. "I want to marry him and start a family with him."

"Then something is amiss, Lucy. If you are truly in love with Xavier, why would you want to get in bed with Chester?" Peter folded his arms.

I sighed irritably. "Because I am falling for Chester," I admitted, but more so to myself than to them. Ah, there. I finally said it. "I can't lie anymore, and it just feels stupid for me to be in denial. But one thing is for sure: this dilemma is giving me a headache. So please don't tell Gilda about this; I don't want her to make this a bigger deal than it is."

"But you can't have both men, Lucy," Edmund stated.

"Well _thanks_ for pointing that out, Ed," I replied sardonically. "Is it really so wrong, though? To want them both, I mean. I can't just pick one, because I would be losing the other. I can't choose; I don't ever want to choose."

"Lucy, tell me honestly, what do you love about each of them?" Edmund enquired solemnly yet curiously.

That put me into serious thought. "Well," I began. "With Xavier, we have been through so much and he has always had my back. His love and support for me even when I was going through some major shit no doubt places him as one of the most important people in my life, and that is not going to change, no matter how strongly I am attracted to Chester, because I know for sure that Xavier is the one that I can count on. I feel so natural and comfortable around Xavier, like I don't even have to try. And we've really bonded over the past months, and I feel like my relationship with him is healthy and wholesome, because we started out first as friends, and so the foundation of our relationship is much more solid and firm. Even though I can be reckless at times, he gives me a sense of security that nobody else has yet to be able to provide me with," I explained. "With Chester, however...he makes me feel...empowered. He exhilarates me and challenges me to do things I never thought I could, and he makes me realize that all these things were what I really wanted to do, who I really wanted to be. He brings out a bolder, more daring side of me," I said. I wanted to thank Ed for asking me this question because it really cleared my mind and demanded that I think about how I feel about both men with a logical mind. "Xavier, I have no doubt I am in love with. His love is pure, and he will always be good for me. Chester...I can't call it love, but I cannot help that I am just so damn attracted to him, almost like two magnets. He is either the best thing for me...or the worst."

Peter pursed his lips and nodded in understanding. "Look, Lu, we really want to help you with your dilemma, but I, for one, want to remain neutral. I don't want you to be biased or impartial in your decision because of your family members. I know you don't want to choose between them, but eventually you will have to, unless you are put in a position where you don't get to choose, and I don't know which is worse: forced to choose, or not allowed to choose."

"Also, the others already know about what happened today because we took the advantage of your absence during dinner to discuss your possible affair," Edmund revealed.

"And I'm not pleased about this, but a fight broke out," Peter added.

"I can already guess who the argument was between," I sighed.

"Even though we believe you, it might be difficult to convince the others that you did not actually sleep with Chester," Edmund said empathetically. He knew exactly how it felt to be accused of something he was not guilty of.

"I just really don't want to hurt Xavier, especially not after he's given me this," I said truthfully, showing them the shiny ring that Xavier had just bought for me today. A ring that superbly displayed texture and dimension infused into an unmatched design. A round brilliant diamond sparkled in the center of a band of delicately entwined 18k gold rope.

"The only way to prevent anyone from getting hurt is for you to call it quits with Chester, and remain faithful to Xavier from now on. Chester has his own courter too, just as you have your own fiancé," Peter advised.

"Also, now that you are engaged to Xavier, soon he will be starting his training to be King consort of Narnia. But we'll arrange lessons for him later. The discussion on this topic can wait till tomorrow," Edmund said.

"Yep," I nodded. "Do you still want anything to drink? I mean, you two have lectured me for so long already," I joked. "Lord Millville gave me this new collection just now. It's meant for everyone in the royal family."

"That one looks fancy," said Peter, pointing at the tallest bottle. "What's inside, though? Is it fizzy?"

I was a little surprised by his final question but I shook my head in response. "Not really. But wait, I don't follow. What do you want a fizzy drink for?" I asked.

Peter snickered. "You're…well, you're too young to know, Lu."

Edmund sniggered. "If you're looking for something fizzy, try this one," he advised, handing another bottle to our brother. "Won't last long," he winked.

Peter looked amused. "How would _you_ know, brother?"

Edmund shrugged smugly. "I'm not too young to know," he said proudly.

"Perhaps when I'm married I'll understand," I said awkwardly.

Peter clicked his tongue and thanked us both, still looking amused. The three of us said our goodnights, and they left my room. I proceeded to take a bath, and it ended up being a long one because I had been spending my time thinking about my dilemma. I felt pretty stupid saying 'perhaps when I'm married' just now, because as much as I hated to admit it, even just to myself, I was having second thoughts about getting married to Xavier.


	4. Cupcakes

**A/n: Thank you PeterCaspianRlz, LOVEM, QueenElenaofnarnia, EC, Emma, Bella, CairParavel, BlueSky, Anon, Eleni Archibald, Sue, CorinQueen, InesS, Guest, katines4ever, Royal, crown, Daisy, Nicky, Narniafan, Emily, Connors, QueenLucyfan, GoldenAgeNarnia, Aslanmane, Candy, RedRose, Lillian, thefourpevensies, and all the other guests. :DD**

* * *

 **(Teton Manor, Narnia)**

~Edmund's POV~

A week had passed, and today was my birthday. I was 17 again. In order to celebrate, Gilda had arranged for an ice skating troupe to organize a performance for me. Therefore all the members of the Narnian Royal Family and their consorts, as well as many of our courtiers, would be traveling to Teton Manor (in Teton, obviously) to watch the performance. At the moment, so nobody owned Teton; it was property of the Narnian Crown. So the others and I were thinking about bestowing the viscountcy of Teton upon our tiny human once he or she was born. Gilda and I figured that if our tiny human was going to have the marquessate of Camden and be first in line to the Archenlander throne, regardless of gender, then why not give him or her some land in Narnia too? After all, foreign-born princes and princesses of Narnia would be, by law, pushed to the back of the line of succession. Even though our tiny human would be the heir presumptive for probably a short period of time, it was still Caspian's firstborn who would be heir apparent, followed by his other children, Pete's children, Su's children, Lu's children, and finally mine. Neither Gilda nor I had any complaints, since we did not want our tiny human having to govern two nations anyway.

Once we were all seated at the spectator stand, the show began. The music began to play and the performers, one by one, gracefully glided across the surface of the ice. As I was seated in the front row, I could get quite close and clear looks of what the performers looked like. When the lead performer came onto the stage, showing off a beautiful, smooth twirl, she _instantly_ caught my attention. My eyes widened and I let out a gasp. Her dark brown hair was tied into a bun, just like all of the other female figure skaters. Her costume was colorful and eye-catching already, and there were crystals and micro-sequins all over the outfit. Although I kept following those green eyes of hers, they never once met mine, as if I didn't even exist, like she could see everyone else and everything else _but_ me. Still, I just could not tear my gaze away from her. Because she simply looked too much like a person — actually, a professional figure skater, more specifically — I once knew: Cheyenne Courtenay.

I nearly bolted up from my seat to say 'Cheyenne!', but in the end it only escaped my lips in the form of a barely audible whisper. Anyhow, I could not even pay a shred of attention to the other performers. I barely could focus on whatever moves the other skaters were displaying. I was too preoccupied with this Cheyenne lookalike — no, scratch that. To be completely honest, she looked EXACTLY like Cheyenne. Like she _was_ Cheyenne. My eyes were glued to her and I could not even help it or control it. This had scared me and fascinated me in equal measure.

After the show, I, along with all the members of the audience, gave the performers a standing ovation. Afterward, I was supposed to go with the others to the dining hall where we would be having a buffet for dinner, but right now I could not even bring myself to care about the food. All I could think about was Cheyenne. Or 'Cheyenne'. So instead of following the others to the dining hall, I simply told Gilda, hastily, that I would be right back, without explaining where I was going or what I was going to do, I found my way backstage to an antechamber where the performers would get ready for the show. I was running already and I caught a glimpse of 'Cheyenne' at the end of the corridor, chatting with the other performers. Not even bothering to look kingly, I ran all the way from one end of the hallway to another, but by that time she was already out of my sight; I did not know which corridor she had gone down. Cursing under my breath, I now found myself in the middle of a 'crossroad'. There were four directions I could proceed in, and I did not know which one would lead me to 'Cheyenne'. After all I was not familiar with the way around the place; this was my first time here in Teton Manor. My first time here in Teton, actually. I whirled, in frustration and in confusion, but when I did a 360-degree turn I found that this time the view of the hallways was different, for a lion was standing in front of me, and it was no ordinary lion.

"Aslan," I said in surprise. "I…I didn't expect to see you here."

* * *

~Lucy's POV~

Even though the birthday boy was presently not in the dining hall, for some reason he had not yet explained to us, the party was already starting, because honestly who could resist a buffet? And then, of course, there were my cupcakes, so sorry, brother dearest, we had to begin without you.

"Not too sweet, just enough," said Xavier after taking a bite of the hazelnut cream fudge cupcake I made for Ed's birthday, nodding at me proudly. "I love it. And I think this would be perfect for my father. In fact, I'm going to get my family to try your cupcakes."

"Sure. I'll wait here," I nodded, grinning. I scooped up another cupcake in my hand and devoured it as I waited for him to return with his parents and his brothers.

Once he was out of my sight, somebody else had approached me. Of course it was a wonderful opportunity, since I was alone at the moment.

"So," someone crooned at me playfully. Wait, I could recognize that voice. Chester's. I turned around and yes, my guess was correct. "What would _you_ recommend? Should I go for the peanut butter fudge or the chocolate coconut fudge if I were to match it with rye whiskey?"

"Just take the cupcake with whiskey in it already," I said brusquely. "Chester, watch what you're doing. I don't think it would be wise for us to be so close. People can see us. What if they start rumors?"

He just shrugged nonchalantly, popping a cupcake into his mouth. "I just wanna eat a cupcake. It's not a crime." When he was done, he spoke again. "We're just chatting as two civilized individual, celebrating the birthday of someone in our lives."

"Don't be so flippant!" I hissed at him. But Duchess Lavinia and Duke Julian just so happened to pass by me and they greeted me politely, so I had to give them a polite smile too, in order to not raise suspicions. Once they walked away, I glowered at Chester once more. "Do you realize the tenacity of this? Gilda saw my cardigan in your room last week. And Peter saw me leaving your room too, with messy clothes and sex hair. And now you know what they think? All of my family members are thinking that I did actually sleep with you, which we both know to be untrue."

"Yes, but let's be honest with ourselves. If Colson hadn't interrupted us, we would have succumbed to our desires," he stated pompously, with a smug smirk that irked me. "That can't be denied."

"It's really not funny, Chester," I huffed in vexation. "I don't want anybody to know that I'm having an affair with you, not my family members, as trustworthy as they are, but particularly NOT my fiancé. Tyrone thinks he knows what I've done with you and he is majorly pissed off. He's already said some not so nice things about me, and we haven't talked in a week or so. He's best friends with Xavier and I can't stop him from telling Xavier what he doesn't know. If it ever comes to that, I'm doomed."

"No you're not," he snorted. "How could you say that you're doomed? You have me; you're nowhere near doomed. And honestly, if you really want to be with me, I can go to Louisa right now and end my relationship with her for you. Because that's how much I want to be with you, Lucy. But would you do the same, for me, Lucy? Would you call it quits with your fiancé, call off your engagement, and get together with me, in an official, palace-sanctioned relationship?"

I glared at him once more. "I'm not going to terminate any relationship for you or other people. If I ever do decide to end a relationship, it will be because the relationship has become problematic or unhealthy for me to be in, or issues between myself and the other person involved."

"Oh? And the lack of passion, the absence of desire, the deficiency of fervency that you so crave, all those — those don't count as problematic aspects of a relationship? It's neither healthy nor advisable to doom yourself to a life of passionless marriage. I can offer you so much more than that, and give you everything you need, carnally and more," he stated boldly, with absolutely no sense of shame.

"You must be crazy to suggest that!" I hissed, the next best alternative I had to flat-out exclaiming at him. "What the fuck?! Have you quite forgotten what you've walked in on when you were looking for me on Christmas Eve?!"

He laughed, superciliously. "No, I haven't forgotten. I haven't forgotten at all. But come on; you can't fool me. That was the only ever time you two made out like that. If you hadn't so explicitly asked for it, he wouldn't even have touched you. Really, I'm just guessing, based on the looks of it. It's clear to me that a relationship with him can never satisfy you, Lucy Pevensie. At least not physically," he said rather arrogantly. "You've got to stop running away from the truth and start facing it. We've got so much passion for each other. You obviously want to bed me, and yet we aren't even in a relationship. Can you imagine how colorful and gratifying our sex life would be if we were in an official relationship, huh? I bet you won't even want to get out of bed, firstly because you keep wanting more, and secondly because you're sore," he added unabashedly, causing me to turn around so that he couldn't see my cheeks burning up. "Imagine what goes through your mind when you can't get me alone. Even when you're at work, you'd be thinking about my fingers snaking their way up your skirt. When you're in council, all you'd be able to think about is my tongue sliding up and down and delving in deeper. You just can't wait for this damnable meeting to end, so that I can slide deep inside of your warm…" he said tantalizingly, coming up behind me. "Royal…" he continued, whispering the dirtiest things in my ear. "Bed."

Oh goodness I wanted him so bad; he was turning me on and making me so needy that I just wanted to take him back to my bed and finish what we started last week. I was flushing madly but I could not do anything about it. He, on the other hand, remained calm, so damn calm.

"As for your other question," he went on comfortably. "Crazy? Oh, yes. I am totally crazy. Crazy for you, as a matter of fact. Of course I'm crazy for you. Why shouldn't I be? I think about you all the time, Lucy. I just can't get you off of my mind. I fantasize about you, so much. I know you're mad at me for sleeping with Louisa the night you announced your engagement, but I want you to know that even when I was finishing in her, it was your name that I called out. Or at least the first syllable. My courter didn't suspect a thing, because it coincided with how 'Lou' sounds," he revealed, tempting me with his voice and dirty talk. I hated that it was working on me, but I loved it even more. "That is how much you mean to me, Lucy. I want you. I desire you. I know that you're sick of being treated like a child, when you are a woman grown. So let me treat you like a woman. Allow me to make you feel like one. I want to make you mine. I want to feel the heat of your skin on mine. I want our bodies and limbs tangled in fervency. I want our hands all over each other's bodies, touches and kisses everywhere, and I want you to call out my name uninhibitedly — when I make you come undone."

I let out a soft yet titillating gasp, and felt that there was a damp spot on my panties. I cursed under my breath.

"I heard that," he chuckled seductively. "We can do exactly that, actually. Let's pick a time and place. How does tonight sound?"

I took a deep breath and turned around to face him, our lustful gazes meeting. "I don't want to wait. I just want you to take me right now," I admitted shamelessly.

"Ah, I would, love. I really would, but then it seems we would be prone to an interruption that way, especially since your fiancé is refunding." He shot a glance sideways at the direction that Xavier and his family members were approaching in.

"Shit," I said in frustration. "Don't walk away now; it would be too late and it would make us look suspicious. When they approach, just bow and greet them," I said carefully, bidding Chester follow my instructions. "His parents are the Duke and Duchess of Millville. You're here not to seduce me but to compliment me, praising me for how thoughtful I was, preparing cupcakes for my royal brother, your High King." I needed to very quickly tell him what our cover-up lie would sound like.

"Are we interrupting something?" Xavier eyed Chester with hatred as he went to my side, grasping my hand.

"No, honey, of course not," I said sweetly and gave Xavier my best smile, trying not to stutter.

"Your Graces, my Lords," Chester bowed politely. So far I had the situation under control.

"Then what is...His Grace doing here?" Xavier inquired curtly.

"He wanted to try some of my cupcakes," I answered smoothly, then dropped my voice low to a whisper that only Xavier could hear. "I'm letting him try the one with whiskey in it, but I can't let your father know, or your mother won't be pleased."

"I see," Xavier nodded, buying my lie.

"Well, Lord Odessa, I hope you liked my cupcake. Now please excuse us; I'd like to have a word with my future in-laws," I said to Chester, using a formal tone. He bowed once more and left us. Now I could exhale in relief.

"Was he harassing you or giving you a hard time?" Xavier enquired, frowning not in disapproval but in concern.

"No, he was completely formal with me, just as we are with him," I lied. "Now, how about the hazelnut cream fudge cupcake for your father?"


	5. 17 Again

**A/n: It's amazing that we've received more than 100 reviews in just the span of 4 chapters! Thank you LOVEM, PeterCaspianRlz, QueenElenaofnarnia, EC, BlueSky, QueenLucyfan, GoldenAgeNarnia, Connors, Aslanmane, Anon, Guest, LucyFan, Emily, Narniafan, katines4ever, CairParavel, thefourpevensies, Emma, Bella, CorinQueen, Nicky, Daisy, InesS, Sue, Lillian, Candy, RedRose, Royal, crown, Eleni Archibald, and all the other guests. ;DDD**

* * *

 **(Teton Manor, Narnia)**

~Edmund's POV~

The Great Lion smiled, like nothing could surprise Him. Well, I guessed nothing really could.

"Happy birthday, Son of Adam," He said warmly. "You are lost, though. Walk with me, Edmund. I shall lead you back to the dining hall where you are supposed to be."

I nodded and walked with Him. Gulping, I asked, "Aslan, back there just now, during the figure skating performance, the lead performer…she looked so much like Cheyenne, it scares me. I was looking for her just now, that's why I was in the middle of…nowhere in particular."

"Ah. Illusions, my boy. They come to us in various forms, unique to each individual," He replied philosophically. "Don't part with your illusions, though. When they are gone, you may still exist, but you have ceased to live."

"And Cheyenne…that was the form of illusion customized for me. The others don't see the performer the way I do?" I inquired.

"They do not. They see what they want to see, just as you've seen what you've wanted to see. _Who_ you've wanted to see," He answered.

I grinned. "Cheyenne absolutely loved ice skating and she was really, really good at it. I could watch her skate all day and not get bored," I said as the memories of the times she and I had had come back to me, and they were so vivid right now, every spin, every twirl she did. "Although I do feel a little guilty for leaving her like that. I don't want her to think that I abandoned her. If given a choice, I don't think I ever would have left."

"Nay, dear child. She never thought of it that way," He said in assurance.

"What happened to her though, after my siblings and I departed?" I enquired.

"She found herself another man, Lord Parr, whom she married and had children with," He explained.

"Oh…I think it's entirely possible that she and I could have started a family and had children if I had never left," I replied.

"Your unborn child, or your tiny human if you prefer, in a way, has her blood too," He revealed.

I paused in surprise and looked at the Great Lion, puzzled. "I…I don't get it. How can Tiny descend from Cheyenne's bloodline? For that to happen, either …oh. Aslan, you said that Cheyenne married a man called Lord Parr after my departure?" When He nodded, I understand. "That's the bloodline Gilda descended from. Her mother's maiden surname is Parr."

"That is correct, Son of Adam," He nodded once more.

"Does Gilda know about this?" I inquired.

"Nay, my child. But you may tell her, if you wish."

"I'm sure she'd be absolutely delighted that she is a descendant of my ex," I said jokingly.

By now, we had arrived at the entrance of the dining hall. In the midst of the hustle and bustle, Susan was the first to catch my eye. She and Tyrone were chatting happily with his parents, the Count and Countess of Newport.

My eyes scanned the room and I found Caspian and Katrina on the other side, chatting with Marquess Darren Ridgeway — that's Lucy's fiancé's elder brother — and Marchioness Chelsea, Dowager Lady Elsmere. The two couples were laughing, so I guessed it must have been one of Caspian's bad jokes. Honestly, it would have been much funnier if I were the one telling it instead. But oh well.

I also found Lucy and Xavier with the rest of the Ridgeway family, chatting by a table of cupcakes. Lucy had made cupcakes for me on this special day; I took back all the mean things I said to her when we were kids.

Meanwhile Peter and Ines were by the beverage bar. They had drinks in their hands and she was blushing. I needed to know no more; this was my cue to look away.

Finally, I found Gilda chatting with her responsible and reliable maid in waiting plus envoy to Narnia, Madam Abigail Seymour, as well as her younger brother Sir Carl Seymour. He was a protégé of Gilda's uncle, the Count of Chatham, who happened to be the Crown Equerry of Archenland. I held back a sigh when I realized that Gilda was actually speaking with her cousins, even though she did not know it. She looked so beautiful and so happy right now. Ah, our tiny human must be kicking right now, as Gilda let her cousins place their hands tenderly on her belly.

It suddenly occurred to me how fortunate I was to have all these people in my life as my family members.

"You are indeed fortunate, Edmund," said Aslan, as if He had been reading my mind. Well, even if that was what He had been doing, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised.

I beamed. "It really feels just like yesterday when Gilda and I met each other for the very first time. When she was still a Princess, only coming to Narnia for the first time, as Caspian's political fiancée. When I was mistaken as a 'servant' who was supposed to be delivering clean towels to her bedroom. And now, look at us. We're married, with a tiny human on the way. We're even the High Queen and High King of Archenland, and it's really been an incredible journey."

"Your journey continues. Very soon, Gilda will need your love and support more than ever," He hinted.

"You mean when Tiny is born?"

He smiled but did not answer me directly. "Joy cannot be joy on its own, just as sorrow cannot be sorrow on its own."

I nodded anyway. Whatever the future held for us, it was for Him to know and entirely for me to figure out. "But what about the others? Will my siblings get to be parents too, like me?"

"Peter already is one," He pointed out. "Susan..." His eyes looked...sad. "Between her and Tyrone, their love will be put to the test, very soon. If they can pass this test, they will have the chance to be parents too. As for Lucy..."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "I think she should figure out who she wants as the father of her children first, before she thinks about starting a family."

"That is true," Aslan confirmed. "Finally, Caspian is quite different than his ancestors, and in more ways than one."

"I hope they'll have plenty of kids; I can't wait for Tiny to have cousins to play with," I smiled.

"But of course, until then, you ought to rejoin the party and enjoy yourself. It is _your_ birthday, after all. And you never know how many birthdays you are going to get," He smiled too. Such a warm and hearty smile coming from a lion.

"Is this the part where you vanish?" I enquired jokingly. "My siblings would want to see you too, I bet. Even though they've only just seen you last week at the wedding."

"All my children get their chance," He said gently. "Before I vanish, I must deliver a message to you, from your beloved Cheyenne."

"Oh? She left a message for me?" I asked, surprised. I kept getting surprises today.

"Indeed. She says happy birthday," He smiled.

I broke into a broad grin. "Aslan, would you please deliver a message to her for me please? Because that's the only way I can reach her."

"Of course, dear child."

"Tell her I miss her, please. That I still hold her dear to my heart. I'm happy, and I'm made even gladder to know that she's happy too. And I bid her take care."

He nodded. "I shall, gladly. Now, Son of Adam, are you not hungry?"

"Oh! Right, yes I am," I beamed, clicking my fingers. I'd got lots to eat today, not just the cupcakes that Lucy had prepared for me, but also my birthday cake, baked by Ines and Katrina. I licked my lips in anticipation and was ready to stride toward the high table where the royal family would be seated, and I was so occupied with thinking about food that I had forgotten to bid Aslan farewell. Oops.

* * *

~Chronicler's POV~

After trying the cupcakes, Duke Reginald and Duchess Amelia stayed behind to chat with Queen Lucy, while the couple's children sat at another table, having a round of drinks. Their respective consorts, Marchioness Sonya and Marchioness Chelsea, were engaged in dialogue as well, so the three Ridgeway brothers started their own conversation. Halfway through, King Tyrone approached their table and sat down on the only empty chair at the table. He looked very weary, with dark circles under his eyes, his skin slightly paler than usual. He was in fact extremely sleep deprived.

"Ty?! What's happened to you?!" Marquess Ruben inquired out of concern, placing his hand on Tyrone's shoulder because the King looked as if he was about to pass out any minute.

"You look like you could use this," said Marquess Darren helpfully, pouring a goblet of beer and pushing it toward Tyrone, who accepted it gratefully and drank from it.

"You look as if you haven't slept in weeks," Marquess Xavier remarked worriedly. "Is the King being too Diligent?"

"You shouldn't have to wear yourself out living up to your cognomen, Ty," Ruben added.

Tyrone stifled a laugh painfully. "I wish it was as simple as that. It's not half as exhausting being a king as it is being a husband."

The three brothers exchanged surprised glances. Was Queen Susan's marriage crumbling already? It had just been a little more than 7 months.

"What do you mean?" Darren frowned.

"I'm taken aback as well; I really thought you and Susan are in love as ever. Aren't you two planning to have children too?" Xavier inquired.

"We are. But that's kind of the problem. There's nothing wrong with a couple wanting to have children, but Susan...Susan is just obsessed with having children, to the point where it's all that she talks about when we're alone. It's an unhealthy obsession. She wants to get pregnant so badly that she wants me to have sex with her every single minute of the day. At any time, in any place. Honestly, I enjoy sex, I really do, but not like this. It's...we're swinging all the way from meaningful lovemaking to emotionless copulation. She wants to do this for procreation, not even for unitive purposes or for pleasure, and it is not at all enjoyable. It kills the mood, in fact, and really puts me off. I feel like, at this stage, I'm not even her husband and lover anyway. I'm just a tool she uses in order to conceive a child. Like a cog in a machine. This is definitely what I signed up for when I got married to her," he unleashed all of his negative sentiments bottled up inside, and exhaled in relief now that he had let it out, and also soothed by the reassurance that he could always have these boys to confide in, no matter what. Shaking his head, he finished his drink, and signaled for his goblet to be refilled. "Please, give me something stronger. Get me drunk as soon as possible so that I can fall asleep without having to get naked," he pleaded.

Pitifully, Darren got a servant to uncork a bottle and pour its contents into everybody's goblets. "That bad, huh," he commented, feeling sorry for his royal friend.

"You bet. It's gotten to the point where I am frankly tired of sex. Sick of it and thoroughly fed up with it. That's how bad it is," Tyrone grumbled, massaging his forehead.

"Well, Sonya and I are also planning to have a baby too, but we don't at all feel hurried. We just want to let things happen naturally. If it's meant to be, it will be," Ruben replied with a shrug.

"I wish Susan could be like that too. Even when she and I made our attempts during her most fertile time of the month, nothing happened. It really didn't take her long to start to worry that she wouldn't get pregnant at all. Her biggest fear is finding out that she is infertile, or being regarded as infertile, when in truth, we just haven't given it enough time. My parents tried for at least 6 years until I was conceived. I really don't see how 7 months into our marriage is a time to be desperate," Tyrone sighed, in agony. "And the fact that her sister in law is almost giving birth isn't helping either."

"Oh, right, and let's not forget that now that Peter is married, Susan must be anxious that Ines will get pregnant sooner than she does," Xavier added.

"Exactly," Tyrone huffed, then turned to Darren. "How come you can get Sophia pregnant with just one night?!"

"It's not something enviable, Ty. Trust me," Darren replied solemnly.

"Really? Because Susan's irrational obsession with getting pregnant is starting to affect my job as King now. The other day during a council meeting in the morning, I fell asleep, because Susan and I pretty much pulled an all-nighter," Tyrone said, harrowed.

"We know. Mother's told us about that hiccup during council..." Ruben admitted.

"Does Susan know? You should talk to her about it," Xavier advised.

"I've tried that already," Tyrone mumbled disconsolately.

"And how did it go?" Ruben enquired.

"Oh, it wasn't at all a good idea. It put her into an awful mood. She accused me of giving her excuses, because she thinks...what kind of a man doesn't like or want sex? She thinks I'm giving up on her already, that I have zero patience and resilience. She was pissed off. She just gives me shit about it. And then because I don't want her to be mad at me, I'd have to make it all better for her and make it up to her, and there's, apparently, only one way to do that: sex," Tyrone looked defeated and very, very tired. "I mean, it looks to me like _she's_ the one who lacks patience, but I'm the one that gets blamed for it. It's very fair, and very healthy, and very fun to be in my position."

Deciding that it would do him no good to linger on this topic any longer, he simply had everybody's goblets refilled and drank his troubles away. He queried after how Darren's love life was, and how he and Chelsea were doing. Darren replied that everything was well and Chelsea was better off finding some purpose and direction in her life. As the training course was coming to an end, the ladies in training would be attending their graduation ceremony next week, just right before the upcoming royal wedding, and Darren was really hoping Chelsea could get the job she wanted.

"That's good. That's really good. I'm happy for you and Chelsea, Darren," Tyrone patted his friend on the back and they clinked their goblets together. Then, turning to Xavier, the King said, "how about you, Xavier? I saw that…ugh, I saw Mr. Wrong approaching Lucy just now. What did he say? Was there a confrontation?"

"No, nothing like that," Xavier shook his head. "Turns out he only wanted to try the cupcakes," he shrugged. "He left pretty soon. And apparently Lucy is back to calling him 'His Grace' now."

"That's a relief," Tyrone replied. "You know, Xavier, I think you and Lucy should really start to plan your wedding and make it happen as soon as possible. I'm serious. You know why that is? Because the sooner you two get married, the less of a threat anyone will be. Once you're married to Lucy, he simply will have to back off. That guy doesn't have diplomatic immunity. There are certain lines he knows he can't cross. Ones he wouldn't dare cross." He then flicked a glance at Duke Chester who was chatting with Queen Gilda gaily at the moment. "No wonder he's such a prick. He knows that he is under protection of the High Queen of Archenland. I really thought she'd be better than that."

"Well, apparently not," Ruben mumbled. Both he and Darren were quite protective over Xavier and they had begun to dislike Gilda for standing in the way to Xavier's happiness. Not to mention their growing dislike for Chester, a contender for Lucy's affections. Xavier knew his brothers would do anything to get rid of Chester, and part of those efforts included increasing Ridgeway influence at the Narnian Court. Reginald's contributions to the wine industry — both manufacture and sales — and trade overall could not go unnoticed or uncredited. Amelia was part of the Council so she had a say in the policy-making processes. Sonya was already the lady in waiting to Queen Ines, and it was likely that Chelsea would be lady in waiting to Marchioness Katrina too when she would become Queen. Both Ruben and Darren were close to Tyrone, while Darren in particular was good friends with King Caspian, meaning the entire Ridgeway family was in royal favor. They were going to keep it, and Xavier was most certainly going to further his family's influence and power at Court by securing the Valiant Queen's love and marrying her.


	6. Infidelity

**A/n: Thank you PeterCaspianRlz, LOVEM, QueenElenaofnarnia, EC, Eleni Archibald, Anon, BlueSky, Narniafan, Emily, QueenLucyfan, Aslanmane, GoldenAgeNarnia, Connors, Guest, Guest, Bella, Emma, CairParavel, katines4ever, thefourpevensies, Sue, InesS, Lillian, Candy, Daisy, crown, CorinQueen, Royal, Nicky, RedRose, and all the other guests. :DDD**

* * *

 **(Cair Paravel, Narnia)**

~Xavier's POV~

Just this morning, a page had been sent from Cair Paravel to Ridgeway Manor to deliver a message to me. It was from Lady Louisa Woodville of Bella Vista, the lady in waiting to Queen Gilda. I was surprised to receive word from her, because we were not really acquainted with each other. The last time we saw and spoke with each other was about 5 months ago during the gypsy fair. At first I saw no reason to meet with her, and thought about declining the request, as I was not informed of what she had wanted to speak to me about. But my interest had been roused, and so I decided that it could not hurt to grant her audience. She had chosen a time and place already: at noon today, in one of the gazebos situated in one of the courtyards in Cair Paravel. I knew exactly which one.

By noon sharp, I had arrived, and decided to sit on the bench inside the gazebo. In less than a minute, Lady Louisa had arrived. As it was snowing, she was clad in a thick overcoat. As soon as she got inside the gazebo, she unfastened the knots that secured the shawl around her shoulders, and undid her neckerchief. I then realized that she was wearing quite a pretty dress. I meant, she was pretty, almost as pretty as Lucy, although she was much taller, and in addition to her natural beauty she was also wearing a beautiful dress, which was a nice sight for a guy like me, of course. Beneath the layers of thick clothing she did not seem to mind wearing a décolleté dress. However, her efforts to make herself look glamorous had made me wonder if she was trying to make an impression. After all, I did not know what her ulterior motives were.

"My Lord," she curtsied, while I bowed. "Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me. I trust you would very much like to know why I asked for an audience with you. What I have to say to you is very serious and involve both our consorts."

I frowned. "Lucy and Duke Chester? What about them?"

"It is something outrageous," she sighed, and sat down next to me. "But I believe Your Lordship needs to know about this anyway. Chester and Her Majesty are having an affair."

I paused for a moment and then snorted. "Are you sent by Queen Gilda?" I inquired. I knew that Her Majesty would surely be backing her best friend up, and therefore find a way, direct or indirect, to discourage me from furthering my relationship with Lucy, so that I could call it quits with her before we actually get married, in order to allow Lord Odessa to stand a chance with Lucy.

"What? No, my Lord. I am not sent by Her Majesty. In fact, I doubt the High Queen is aware of our meeting. Still, I am telling the truth."

"But…but this is insane, this whole idea of my fiancée having an affair with your courter. How do you know of and about this, if it is true at all? What sources have you got? I'll have to ask Your Ladyship for proof," I shook my head in disbelief.

"Oh, I do have proof, my Lord. First of all, I saw a hickey on Chester's neck on New Year's Day," she began.

I snickered. "That doesn't mean anything, my Lady. It could very well have come from one of your private moments with His Grace. You know, in the throes of passion," I shrugged.

"For people who don't know me, yes indeed. But you see, my Lord, I don't like hickeys," she iterated resolutely. "I don't give them, nor do I receive them. So of course I found it strange when I spotted one on Chester's neck. Naturally, if I was responsible for the hickey, then he would have had no problem letting it show, yet he hid it from me."

"Shifty," I said under my breath.

"I also accidentally overheard a part of a conversation between my High Queen and High King, regarding something that has apparently happened between Chester and Queen Lucy. Their Majesties of Archenland were discussing the affair. Apparently, High Queen Gilda has made a few…observations," she stated, and then explained those observations to me.

I sat in silence, letting her words' bearing sink in. No wonder Lucy was more nervous than usual the other day, at Edmund's birthday party. Because that piece of shit people called a duke was not there solely for the cupcakes.

"I don't believe it. I mean, I'm starting to, but I don't want to. Honestly, how could she do that to me?!" I said loudly, though I was merely talking to myself. I guessed for a moment I had forgotten that I had company.

"You're not the only victim, my Lord. If that makes you feel better at all," she said, looking indifferent, with a nonchalantly shrug. "I mean, I was cheated on, too. So you see, my Lord," she continued, with the slightest tinge of slyness in her tone. "We are on the same boat."

"Right," I nodded, staring blankly at the ground and the snow on my boots that had melted into tiny water droplets. "Anyway," I said calmly. "Thank you for filling me in on what you know, my Lady." I stood up and was about to leave.

"You're welcome, Marquess Xavier," she smiled mysteriously. "I believe that I will be referring to you as my _King_ very soon. But, in light of recent events, in case that doesn't work out and I do not have the pleasure of calling you 'Your Majesty'," she added with a calculating look in her eyes. "Your Lordship may find that I am one of the very few people who have been completely honest with you, even from the start."

* * *

 **(Ridgeway Manor, Narnia)**

On my way back home, Lady Louisa's words kept ringing in my mind. I had been cheated on. Lucy was having an affair with Duke Chester, and I bet it began as early as when they had that stupid tea date as a reward for the champion of that damned jousting tournament, even back when he was just a Sir. It was after that tryst that they kept seeing each other. I could never forget witnessing him undressing her on Susan's birthday.

Right now, I needed to confront Lucy about it, but I needed to choose a location to my own advantage. If I had just gone straight to her office, where she would be in the afternoon, she would probably just kick me out when things go south.

So, I sent a messenger to invite her over to tea. I figured I could spend these few hours thinking of what exactly I was going to say to her. This time, I was determined to not lose my temper right away. It would not do either of us much good.

A few hours later, she had arrived as planned, all smiles and eager to kiss me, as if nothing had happened. I felt disgusted, but plastered a smile across my face anyway and kissed her back.

We took our seats in the dining lounge, and tea was served. "This is nice," she said as she took a sip of her peppermint tea. "I'm glad you invited me here."

I could not decide between a laugh and a snort so I ended up chuckling weirdly. "It's not like there isn't peppermint tea at Court."

"Well, true, but it's different. I prefer drinking peppermint tea with you," she smiled. Again. Usually, whenever I saw her smile, I felt as if the world was a little bit brighter, but now…

"Why me?" I enquired bluntly. "Why not some other guy?"

She stared at me warily and set her goblet back on the table. "Because you're my fiancé and I love being with you. Why? What are you trying to say?"

"Because I'm your fiancé and you love being with me?" I snorted snidely. "Oh, yeah, I'm sure that's why you made out with —"

"Please, not this again!" She exclaimed. "I came here because I thought you wanted to have a nice time with me. We can have tea and talk about our wedding, make plans and arrangements for our engagement party, even though we can only get married when I turn 16. I didn't come here to argue. So I do _not_ want to talk about Chester. Again."

"Why are you trying so hard to avoid bringing up this topic? Is it because you and he are doing something behind my back?" I questioned, my tone harsh and unforgiving.

"How dare you say that to me!" She stood up abruptly. "Thanks for the tea and the snacks, but I think it would be better for me to take my leave now," she glowered at me. But before she could be at the door, I had blocked her way.

"I'm not done yet, Lucy. I know that you're having an affair with him. Because I'm not the only one who got cheated on," I stated hotly.

Her eyes widened yet she frowned. "Louisa?"

I nodded, disgruntled. "I appreciate that she was honest with me, at the very least. What hurts the most was that you, out of all people, chose to lie to me. I'm sick and tired of the lies that you're feeding me."

"You're wrong. _She's_ wrong. I'm not having an affair with Chester. Why would you believe her over me? You barely even know that girl; I'm your fiancée!"

"It's not about you versus Her Ladyship. It's evidence versus lies. I know which one I'd choose to believe," I argued, and explained to her all the solid evidence that Louisa had provided me with, not hesitating to mention Gilda. "So you tell me, Lucy. Is everybody lying to me? Even Gilda too, about what she saw? Perhaps I should go to her myself and ask her about it. How about that, huh?"

Her glare hardened but I could tell that she looked frightened. "No," she said firmly, almost threateningly, as she grabbed my arm, very tightly.

"Why?! How come Gilda deserves to know the truth but I don't? Come on, Lucy. That's enough lies for one relationship. I deserve to know the truth, and I am fed up with the excuses I've been given," I huffed. The fury was gradually subsiding right now, but it was more of the disappointment that was surfacing and taking over. And it certainly did show in my tone.

"It's not an affair, Xavier," she explained, her voice croaking as tears brimmed in her eyes. "It's just that…something's happened between me and him."

"What happened, then?" I demanded.

She shut her eyes and turned away for one moment, before swiftly she turned right back to me and revealed, "We kissed." She gulped. "But it was only that one time."

I slumped back down onto my seat, like a delicate statue made of glass falling to the ground and shattering. I did not even know whether or not I should believe her. She had lied to me for so many times; what difference would one more lie make?

"When?" I whispered.

"At my brother's wedding. Right before we got engaged," she admitted, a teardrop sliding down her cheek as she struggled to keep it together. "But I…I pushed him away. It didn't feel right and I left the scene as soon as I could."

I sighed and shook my head. "And that's when you came to me, and asked me to marry you. Because you felt guilty. This engagement isn't based on love, or loyalty, or faithfulness — it's based on guilt!" I shouted. "I should have known! It was too good to be true, that all of a sudden you decided that you wanted to marry me. How stupid of me to have thought that you really did love me and you really did want to start a family with me. But now, it turns out that you only did all of that, to absolve yourself of remorse."

"That's not true," she shook her head frantically, nearly breaking into sobs. "Trust me, I do love you and I do want to start a family with you. If I don't, why would I have proposed to you? Why hadn't I proposed to _him_ instead?"

" _Trust_ you?" I snapped. "I'd love to do that. Really I would. But you were the one who broke the trust between us first," I snarled. "But I guess you're right. It would indeed be better for you to take your leave now." I glanced at the door, crestfallen.

"Xavier, I —"

"Please," I cut in. "Just leave. I'd rather be alone right now, really." I knew I could never be on equal footing with a Duke, and I knew that Lucy had chosen to be with him, even in secret, for a reason. It was because there were bound to be some aspects of our relationship that she was not satisfied with, which meant that part of it had to be my fault.

She hiccoughed. "Xavier, I love you, I do, and I never wanted to hurt you, but I —"

"It doesn't matter now," I stated plainly. "The damage is done. It doesn't matter what you say now."

Realizing that words would be futile now, she placed her hand on the doorknob and twisted it, taking her leave of me. Once she was out of sight, I picked up my goblet and flung it across the room.


	7. Tinley

**A/n: Thank you LOVEM, PeterCaspianRlz, EC, Nicky, Daisy, Lillian, RedRose, Candy, BlueSky, Crown, Royal, thefourpevensies, katines4ever, Anon, Guest, Emily, Narniafan, QueenElenaofnarnia, Eleni Archibald, InesS, CairParavel, Emma, Bella, CorinQueen, Sue, GoldenAgeNarnia, QueenLucyfan, Aslanmane, Connors, optymalna, and all the other guests. :DD**

* * *

 **(Tinley Manor, Narnia)**

~Xavier's POV~

It was a couple of days later when in the morning, right before breakfast, I discovered a letter placed on my plate. I noticed that the royal sigil was stamped onto the envelope. Opening the letter and reading it, a quick glance the first time followed by a scan more attentive to the details the second time, I was notified of the news that a dukedom was going to be bestowed upon me. The dukedom of Tinley. Meaning I was going to be known as 'Xavier Holloway-Ridgeway of Millville, 1st Duke of Tinley'. I was elated and so were my family members.

I knew this was Lucy's doing. I was reminded of the significance that this place had for us. Tinley was where Darrell's Kitchen was located, and we had been there for a date. It rained when we were about to leave, but Lucy did a reverse rain dance and it had actually worked. Perhaps she had wanted to show me that she still wanted to be with me, that I still ranked number one in her heart. But I did not want to be number one, as that would suggest there was a number two in her heart, and I did not much appreciate that. I wanted to be the only one in her heart, just as she was the only one in my heart, not number one.

A few days later, the investiture ceremony was held. Instead of taking place at Court, it was organized in Tinley Manor. Although we were expecting all the members of the Narnian Royal Family to be present at the ceremony, it appeared this time was an exception, as Queen Gilda had claimed that she was not feeling well due to her pregnancy. Given her current condition, she is therefore indisposed and unable to make it to my investiture ceremony. Though of course, I would not be surprised if that was merely a lie, since she had every reason to dislike me and to not want to show up at my investiture ceremony.

Still, her absence did nothing to dampen my mood. I still felt important and respected with my new ducal coronet on my head. Alike my father's, mine was a silver-gilt circlet, with eight strawberry leaves of which five could be seen in a frontal view.

I was very honored; there were only three Dukes in Narnia and I was one of them, the other two being my lord father himself as well as Julian Bulloch of Kinross.

Inevitably, I tensed up when Lucy approached me during the after party.

"Hey," she said softly, nudging me a little. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," I said, smiling a little. "For the dukedom." I knew she had come to understand that I was pleased and relieved to be on equal footing with my archenemy, at least socially. And now, he would have to call me 'Your Grace' instead of just the other way round.

"I wanted you to feel valued," she explained apologetically. "Besides, if and when we have children," she grinned. "He or she can be the next Duke or Duchess of Tinley."

"Wouldn't that be nice," I beamed. As long as Lucy could still see a future with me, I was gratified.

"I've missed you, Xavier. I'm so sorry for my past transgressions. Really, I am. But I don't want them to hinder our relationship any further. I hate being away from you," she admitted, stroking my arm in a manner both tender and titillating. She looked up at me and smiled. "You look pretty regal wearing a ducal coronet already. I just...I can't wait to see how you look with a proper crown once you are King."

I grinned. "Well, I've missed you too. I know, I got angry at you and I kicked you out, but that doesn't mean I love you any less."

"When you and I are together, every single part of me tells me that it is the right thing. That we are the perfect fit," she replied lovingly. "Goodness, how could I ever choose anybody over you?" She mumbled. "Xavier, come with me." Taking my hand, she let me out of the hall.

"Where are we going?" I inquired. "Don't I need to be around? Won't the people miss their new Duke?"

She guffawed. "We can be back in time, love. A grand entrance to kick things off, then a big finish at the end. And that is _all_ that they care about. Tops and tails."

"And won't the people miss their Queen?"

"Hmm, perhaps. But I don't want to be their Queen right now," she smiled mysteriously. "I just want to be yours. Only yours," she whispered, making me smile too. "We should explore the place."

Nodding, we slipped out of the hall and took a look around. "In fact, why don't we hold our engagement party and wedding here?" She suggested jovially. "In Tinley Manor. Caspian and Katrina had theirs in Norwalk Manor, and they're going to get married in Norwalk _Palace_. We can even turn this place into Tinley Palace too, if you want."

"If that is what my bride wants, I will not say no to it," I beamed, liking the idea a lot too. This place was definitely spacious enough for a royal wedding to be held. It would be perfect. I had expected my wedding to take place in many possible places: Millville Manor, Ridgeway Manor, Cair Paravel, the Telmarine Castle, et cetera. Tinley Manor – or Tinley Palace – was never on that list, but I was more than willing to get married here, in my own chief residence.

"Then it's decided," she replied, smiling. "The master bedroom is this way."

"You mean our future, shared bedchambers?" I winked at her playfully.

"Exactly that, Your Grace," she chortled. "Here it is," she announced grandly and proudly. Pushing the door open, we entered the room. It was very capacious yet still felt cozy. I went to the balcony first, and was delighted to see that Ridgeway Manor was in my view.

"The bed is so comfortable!" I could hear Lucy exclaim in joy as she leapt onto the bed. It was a very large bed. "Oh, I could lay here forever. My goodness, just the material..."

I went back inside from the balcony, and saw her beckoning me over to join her. Smiling and willingly, I approached her. But instead of laying on her side, which the bed was, no doubt, large enough for, I climbed atop her, eliciting a soft giggle from her.

"I suppose you're right, love," I said while she pressed her palms to my cheeks, gazing at me affectionately. "It is very comfortable indeed." Supporting my weight with my arms, I leaned down to kiss her. But it did not take long for a few gentle kisses to turn into a passionate make-out session. Our breathing became quicker. I began to kiss her jaw and neck, causing her to shudder in pleasure.

"Why are we not doing this more often?" she whispered, and I smirked, nipping my way down to her clavicle. She arched her back a little as I delivered more kisses on her smooth skin. When I kissed her shoulder, she nibbled on my earlobe fervently. Eager to feel my body even closer to hers, she wrapped her legs around my hips. "Xavier, I want it," she hummed pertly. "I want it bad. Give it to me."

For a moment I was really considering that. But I knew that there would be no going back if I had given her what she wanted. Not that I wanted to kill the moment, of course, but I — we — needed to remember that she was still underage. So even though she had lifted her dress to expose her thighs, and her hands were undoing my belt buckle already, I had to lift myself off her and pull away.

* * *

~Lucy's POV~

"What's wrong?" I sat up, propping myself up with my arms, panting slightly. "We've no reason to stop. And I thought you wanted it too." I just wanted to give myself to him unreservedly.

"I do want it, but we should wait till you're of age," Xavier explained awkwardly, ruffling his hair.

I sighed. If it were up to Chester, he would have gone all the way with me, no doubt. "1300 years ago it was perfectly legal," I mumbled disgruntledly and defiantly. Still, fixing my hair, I hopped off the bed. "Let's go back to the after party then."

"Lucy," he said with a gentle sigh before I could walk out the door. He stood up and approached me, taking my hands, and said, "how about I promise you that the day you turn 16, we will consummate our relationship?"

"Neither a day earlier nor a day later?" I was eager, but I still feigned aloofness.

"On your 16th birthday, I promise," he replied confidently and resolutely.

"Alright then," I cooed. "I can't wait."

* * *

 **(Norwalk Palace, Narnia)**

~Caspian's POV~

Today was the nineteenth day of the first month of the two thousand three hundred and fifth year. My big day. 19th January, 2305. As I prepared myself for the wedding ceremony, I tried to get rid of the sweat on my palms by unceremoniously wiping my hands on my sleeves, but it did not help. I was very nervous. It was a very different kind of nervousness from any other kind I had ever experienced. Not like the kind when I was about to go to battle, or the kind when I had to answer to Miraz. It was a...nervous kind of nervous. A good kind of nervous, I supposed, compared to other kinds of nervous. I was also very excited and very eager to be married to Kat. I had wanted it for so long and in less than an hour's time that was about to come true. Kat would be mine and I would be hers, just like we always wanted. I just hoped that I would be the best husband there was, one that she deserved.

"And you will, Son of Adam." A deep voice behind me caused me to whirl, startled. I thought I was alone in this room, but apparently a lion had found its way in, so naturally it could not be any ordinary lion. It was the Great Lion.

"Oh, Aslan," I said, sounding astounded yet delighted. "I...I thought Your Eminence would be at the altar already."

"I simply wanted to calm your nerves before the ceremony commences," Aslan chuckled. "I have seen many a nervous groom."

I nodded. "You're right. Your presence does calm me, for some reason." I then noticed that I could not see Aslan's reflection in the mirror I was standing in front of. Then I recalled that Kat had told me that mirrors only reflected mortal beings and inanimate objects, and the Great Lion did not fit those criteria. "But, Aslan, how can you be so sure that I will not turn out to be like…"

"Like your uncle Miraz?" He replied. "I know, because I have faith in you. You have proven to be different even from the beginning of your reign. As a King you will leave your mark upon history. The first generation of peaceful coexistence between Telmarines and Narnians, the two nations twinned together. The royal bloodlines will be extended through you and your offspring, and also through the children that Peter and Susan shall have with their spouses."

Although what He said felt reassuring initially, I did notice that He did not mention Lucy. Did that mean that she would not have royal descendants? I could fathom why Edmund was not mentioned because his descendants would be carrying on the Archenlander royal bloodline more so than the Narnian one. But Lucy…

Anyway, I decided to pay that no more attention. "I really have been striving to be the kind of man he is not, but his blood still runs in my veins," I said.

"That does not mean you will be the kind of husband he is. Considering your love for Katrina, I have no doubt you shall be a faithful husband. You will not stray as your uncle did. You will do well as a husband," He said firmly, instilling confidence in me.

I nodded. "I feel much readier to be a husband now, Aslan."

"Then we shall meet again at the altar, dear one," said the Great Lion proudly, and then He vanished.


	8. The Royal Wedding

**A/n: Thank you PeterCaspianRlz, LOVEM, QueenElenaofnarnia, EC, Bluesky, Narniafan, Emily, Guest, Anon, Bella, Emma, CairParavel, Eleni Archibald, Aslanmane, Connors, GoldenAgeNarnia, QueenLucyfan, thefourpevensies, katines4ever, Royal, crown, Candy, Lillian, RedRose, Nicky, Daisy, CorinQueen, InesS, Sue, and all the other guests for 200 reviews! :DD**

* * *

 **(Norwalk Palace, Narnia)**

~Chronicler's POV~

Earlier this morning, although the groom and his groomsmen were in Norwalk Palace already, the bride and her bridesmaids were getting ready in Cair Paravel. It was planned that they would travel to Norwalk by carriage, along with Uncle Hugh and Aunt Eileen, so that Marchioness Katrina could wave at the cheering crowds as she and her retinue processioned into the new palace. Whoever saw Kat in her wedding gown was awestruck by how radiant and beautiful she looked. It was a very elegant A-line gown made of tulle. It was modeled after Queen Adelaide's wedding gown, with the addition of lace appliqués.

The bride dismounted the carriage carefully with the help from her bridesmaids and maids of honor. They met the groomsmen at the entrance to the hall where the ceremony would be held. Uncle Hugh slid into the hall through a side gate and stood next to King Caspian and King Edmund who served as best man. Right now the main doors were closed, but the ones outside the wedding guests had gathered already, and that the groom was standing at the altar with his best man. Aslan was also taking His place as the officiant. Outside, everybody in the procession took their positions and got ready.

The doors swung open and the wedding march could be heard playing loudly. The first to walk down the aisle were Marchioness Chelsea and Marquess Darren, followed by Queen Ines and King Peter, then Queen Lucy and _Duke_ Xavier. Queen Susan and King Tyrone were next, followed by Marchioness Sonya and Marquess Ruben, and then Duchess Lavinia and Duke Julian. At the end of the procession were Katrina and Aunt Eileen. The Farmington family had decided that it would only be fair for Aunt Eileen to walk their younger niece down the aisle since Uncle Hugh had already walked their elder niece down the aisle.

At the same time as the wedding march was finished, the bridesmaids and groomsmen took their seats, while Aunt Eileen gave Kat away to Caspian. The couple exchanged meaningful smiles and held hands. Caspian squeezed Kat's hand, and she squeezed his hand in response. They turned to the Great Lion together. His standard speech began, His words going into one ear and coming out from the other.

Caspian's skin prickled in anticipation when it was time for him to recite his vows.

"Kat," he smiled in an attempt to calm his nerves. "When I saw you for the very first time, I felt something for you, something that I had never felt before, never for another. As I got to know you better, I began to see your sweet disposition and kindness, the compassionate side of you. I was falling for you before I even knew it, and there was no way to stop it. I remember how shy you were at first, I remember when you almost died and how horrified I was at the thought of losing you, I remember our first kiss so clearly in my mind, every single moment we've spent together, because you are so dear to my heart. From the start I knew that I was yours, and I promised myself that I would never let you go. I want to spend the rest of my days with you, start a family with you, and grow old with you, the way it's meant to be, because we are meant to be. Because you are the other half of me. Because I love you." The earnestness in his tone had made all the guests go 'aww'. Caspian's smile could not grow any wider as he slid the ring onto Kat's finger. "With my body I thee worship, with all my worldly goods I thee endow, and thereto I plight thee my troth."

Now it was Katrina's turn. Her hands were shaking in anticipation, and she was biting her lip to keep herself from crying in pure joy. "Caspian." Her voice was trembling as she spoke with the truest affection and sincerity. "Today is simply the best day of my life. I can't even begin to express with words my love for you. I am just so blessed to be here, about to be joined in matrimony with you. I just want to thank you for loving me with all your heart and never giving up on me, even when I was going through a difficult time. You still wanted to be there for me and show your undying support for me. I can't thank you enough and I promise to always love you too," she said happily and gratefully. "When I was little and my parents were still around, they taught me never to steal, or lie, or cheat. But if you must steal, then please steal away my sorrows, just as you have stolen my heart. And if you must lie, then please lie with me all the nights of our lives. And if you must cheat, then please cheat death to be with me, because I can't and I won't live a day without you." Little did she know that Caspian would really do all of that: steal away her sorrows, lie with her all the nights of their lives, and cheat death to be with her. "With my body I thee worship, with all my worldly goods I thee endow, and thereto I plight thee my troth," she recited without missing a beat, and slid the ring onto his finger too.

Now Aslan smiled and announced, "With the power invested in me, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife! Caspian, you may kiss the bride."

When the newly wedded couple kissed, it was just like their first kiss. It was as if they could once again hear the pouring rain outside, feel the water droplets dripping off the ends of their wet hair, and breathe in the warmth inside Trufflehunter's hut. And in a way, it was their first kiss indeed, as husband and wife.

After that was the time for the coronation ceremony. Kat was on bended knee when Caspian placed the crown atop her head. "Once a King or Queen of Narnia, always a King or Queen of Narnia. People of Narnia _and Telmar_ , I give you: Her Royal Majesty, Queen Katrina the _Gracious_! May your wisdom grace us forevermore!"

"Long live the Queen!" Everybody chanted in unison. They were also hopefully contemplating how their new Queen's graciosity could complement the other rulers' strengths. It was also the cognomen of 'the Gracious' that gave rise to a new style of address: Her Gracious Majesty.

Queen Katrina stood up and smiled at her subjects. She noticed that many young girls were getting excited already, because the bride was about to follow the foreign tradition of throwing the bouquet. Their elation only became more audible when they all went outside.

Once the bouquet was thrown, she turned around right away, also eager to see who had caught the bouquet. Then instantly, all eyes landed on Chelsea who gasped in delight. Katrina immediately engulfed her best friend in an embrace.

"So, I assume I'm best man?" said Ruben giddily to Darren before all three Ridgeway brothers were joined by their respective consorts.

The newlywed couple went up to a balcony and waved at their people. The crowds were waiting outside the gates of Norwalk Palace, all of them in good cheer.

* * *

In the evening, everybody was eating and drinking, chatting and dancing. Across the ballroom, Lady Yvette Castleroy and Madam Abigail Seymour had been exchanging meaningful glances throughout the evening. They first met about 5 months ago, when Abigail was assigned to be Archenland's envoy to Narnia. Ever since then, they had become close friends. Even closer than friends, in fact, but it wasn't a sororal relationship. It was more like...a romantic one, albeit unofficial.

Both of them had noticed that the other hadn't been enthusiastic in trying to catch Queen Katrina's bouquet earlier that day, even though they blended into the horde of single ladies, because neither of them were interested in marriage. Marriage to men, at least.

Deciding to quit the wordless eye contact, they decided to have a proper chat instead. They took a walk around the palace, since the owner of the palace had decided to open up some rooms to public access, at least for today.

At the end of one hallway was a room with an open door. Inside the room, in the middle of it, was a stand on which a glass box was placed, containing a crown. On the wall, a portrait of a beautiful woman was hung up, and she looked remarkably like King Caspian. Even without looking at the caption on the plaque, both Abigail and Yvette could identify the woman in the portrait as Caspian's lady mother, Queen Adelaide, the 1st Marchioness of Norwalk.

"Her Majesty was indeed very beautiful," Abigail commented.

"Yes indeed. His Majesty looks a great deal like the late Queen," Yvette nodded in agreement. "Now I know where he got his good looks from."

Abigail chuckled. "Do you have a crush on the King?"

"It's not like that," Yvette shook her head with a laugh. "His Majesty is a good looking man, but...just not my type, you know?"

Abigail nodded knowingly, with a secretive smile. At the end of another corridor was a lounge, inside which a servant had just deposited a log amidst a shower of sparks within the fireplace. Liking the warmth, the two women went inside just as the servant exited the lounge.

"So...what _is_ your type?" Abigail could not help but query. They stood still as her eyes darted to the flame that burned brighter and brighter.

"In general? Women," Yvette answered candidly. She held nothing back, knowing that she did not need to, around Abigail. They did not pretend to be anything when they were around each other.

"That must be why you weren't really trying to catch the Queen's bouquet this morning," Abigail replied with a wink. "Because you're not even interested in marriage. To a man, at least."

"Exactly," Yvette nodded, looking amused, yet also relieved that Abigail had nothing negative to say about her sexual orientation. No judgmental stares like she was an outcast. No harsh words like she was a criminal. No avoidance like she was a plague. "What's _your_ type then?"

"My type?" Abigail chortled. "I don't have a specific type I'm romantically interested in. There is, however, a specific person."

"Oh! And for how long have you been romantically interested in this specific person?" Yvette inquired curiously.

"Wow, I think for 5 months now. It didn't take long for me to fall for her after we had made our acquaintance," Abigail guffawed.

"'Her'? Not a him?"

Abigail nodded. "Well, at least I've never loved a him as much as I love her. She's so dedicated to her work, and her professionalism is admirable. Her zeal about her job, her spirit, I love that about her. She's quite industrious. But what's most important is that..." She dared to step even closer to Yvette. "It's that...she's you." Her voice grew quieter as she professed her love, but Yvette could hear every single word of it clear as day. She held her breath and let out the smallest gasp ever. Their hearts were beating so fast, yet time was slowing down and stood still. The moment their lips touched, came the part where the chorus of the music was supposed to play, and cameras circled around the couple. The kiss lasted; neither of them wanted it to end. Now was not the time to be shy, or for their feelings to be inhibited. Even when they pulled apart, they were still jubilant and euphoric, feeling very much alive.

"I've never kissed a girl before," Abigail confessed a little awkwardly afterward. But she still enjoyed the kiss a lot, nevertheless.

"Me neither," Yvette chuckled. "Do your family members know? About your...preference."

"They do. At first I was only willing to admit it to my brother. I find it easier to reveal this about myself to a sibling than to my parents. He was understanding about it and in fact he was the one who encouraged me to share it with my parents. My mother was supportive of me nonetheless, even though at first she didn't quite know how to take in the news. My father was...I don't know, I guess he was more surprised than displeased at first. Since his plans for me was all about marrying a nobleman with titles and lands. But now, I think he's just neutral. I think by now he's accepted that this part of me isn't going to change, but I think he still believes that what's best for me is to marry a man of a suitable station. Oh, and...my half-sister doesn't know yet. Anyway, what about you? Does your family know?"

"My father is the only family member I've got, as you know, so I've told him about it many years ago. I think you can imagine how surprised he was, but it hasn't stopped him from loving me," Yvette answered. "By the way, I feel like I should let you know what I love the most about you too. It's your independent spirit, and the air of confidence you've got. You're so...your own style. You don't just do something because everybody else is doing it. Not to mention you're an aspiring politician too. After all, it's what brought us together in the first place." She then gave Abigail a softer kiss. "Hmm, I could kiss you all day and all night."

"You sure that's all you want to do?" Abigail laughed softly.

"Well, what else would you rather do?" Yvette enquired playfully.

"I can show you in due course," Abigail smirked a little before she leaned in for another kiss.


	9. Formalities

**A/n: Thank you QueenElenaofnarnia, LOVEM, PeterCaspianRlz, EC, BlueSky, Narniafan, Emily, Bella, Emma, CairParavel, Eleni Archibald, InesS, CorinQueen, Sue, QueenLucyfan, Aslanmane, GoldenAgeNarnia, Connors, Crown, Royal, Nicky, Daisy, katines4ever, thefourpevensies, RedRose, Candy, Lillian, Anon, Guest, and all the other guests. :DDD**

* * *

 **(Norwalk Palace, Narnia)**

~Gilda's POV~

At Caspian's wedding, I had run into Marquess Darren Ridgeway again. Or 'Darren of Millville', the way he introduced himself to me. "Good evening, my Queen," he bowed a little sheepishly while I tried to conceal my giggle, with very little success. Neither of us had forgotten that just about 7 months ago, when Susan got married, he had tried to hit on me, as my identity was at that time unbeknownst to him. I doubted his intentions were the same this time around; I thought he was merely being polite. "Your Majesty looks just as charming as you did the last time we spoke."

"Well, thank you, my Lord, but there are just some lies you can't tell a woman as heavily pregnant as myself," I said jokingly, and gave him a polite smile anyway. He kissed my hand and excused himself as he wanted to dance. And frankly, _I_ had really wanted to dance as well, but dancing was not a particularly easy task for a woman who was 8 months pregnant to accomplish. So I opted for some more cupcakes that both Tiny and I loved, so that I would not feel so bad about not be able to move around as flexibly and with as much ease as I would have liked.

However, much to my dismay, no matter how hard I tried to reach for the cupcake, the one I was closest to was the center of the stack, and so my huge belly obviously got in the way. I groaned.

"Need some help?"

Once I turned around to see who was speaking to me, I groaned again and rolled my eyes. It was the last person I wanted to see. Marquess Xavier Holloway-Ridgeway of Millville. No, wait, he was officially the Duke of Tinley now. How could I forget.

"Here, let me give you a hand with that," he offered, but I stopped him.

"Don't. I am pregnant, not disabled. I can reach for a cupcake myself if I want one," I said adamantly, and stretched my arms again, but this time I nearly lost my balance, even, and he had to grab my arm to prevent me from collapsing onto the table.

"Hey, you alright, Gilda?" He inquired.

I gasped and gave him a dirty look. He had retracted his arm quickly enough. "What did you just call me?!"

He stood there with his mouth agape. "Excuse me?"

"Excuse you? You just called me by my first name," I snapped.

Still surprised rather than ashamed, he began to explain himself. "Well, since I am engaged to Lucy, and the others including your lord husband have already told me that I am allowed to address them using forenames rather than titles, just like what happened with Tyrone and then Ines and then Katrina, I thought that —"

"That is _exactly_ the problem! That's just what _you think_. The others may have given you permission to refer to them on a first name basis, but _I_ have done nothing of that sort. So I will demand respect from _you_ , my _subject_. For you, it's 'Queen Gilda', 'Your Majesty', 'my Queen'," I snarled, and took some deep breaths.

"Well then...my Queen," he replied, sounding calm yet befuddled. "Why should I be an exception? I do not see why I should be a special case, treated any differently than the other royal consorts of Narnia. I mean, surely when...Your Majesty was engaged to a sovereign of Narnia, you were allowed to refer to the other rulers using their first names as well, right?"

I snorted. "Oh, _Lord Tinley_ ," I said sardonically, shaking my head. "You are just so very special. You have been so very disrespectful to your superiors. Not just to me, you know. You were so impolite to my friend, the Duke of Odessa. Punching him in the face? Really? Honestly, I would like to call you 'Your Grace' but firstly you do _not_ deserve that dukedom or that title, and secondly there is nothing 'graceful' about you when _all_ you have been is rude and offensive. And then the way you treat Lucy? It's just like she's an object in your possession!"

"Please, my Queen, that was a whole month ago."

"That does not mean you are forgiven," I stated acidly.

"Even so, this whole affair is between myself and...His Grace, and Lucy. My personal vendetta against Lord Odessa has nothing to do with you, Queen Gilda."

"Oh, really? Bates is my best friend. If you mess with him, you mess with me. And I will not allow you to ruin his chance of being with Lucy. He can give her so much happiness. You are not the right person for her," I insisted. "You are detestable."

Before he could reply with some improbable excuse, Lucy had approached us. When she asked us what was going on, he immediately took the chance to appeal to her. "I didn't do anything, Lu. I was trying to be nice to her. Really I did. I offered to lend her a hand with the cupcakes since she had trouble reaching it, with a big belly in the way and all, but she started admonishing me for calling her by her first name. She continued to list out my 'crimes' and wrongdoings but frankly it was none of her business."

Lucy frowned at me. "G," she said. That was the way Ed's siblings called me. "What is your problem?"

"It was presumptuous of him to think that he can refer to me in such a disrespectful manner, simply because the others were alright with it. I simply pointed out to him the correct way of speaking to a royal," I argued. "Which he should've been familiar with, given his aristocratic upbringing."

"But Xavier is engaged to me," Lucy sighed.

"It doesn't mean a thing to me. I've been in several engagements myself but look who I married in the end. It doesn't mean you two will really end up together. After all, if you were so sure about him and so committed to him, you wouldn't have slept with Bates on New Year's Day," I shrugged.

I looked pretty indifferent, but Lucy visibly froze and tensed up at my words. Her ill-behaved fiancé glared at me then at her. "What?! Lucy, what is she talking about?!"

"Oh," I smirked. This was going to be good. "You haven't told him yet, have you, Lucy? Or maybe you never even intended to tell him anything about your love affair. You were just going to keep this dirty little secret of yours entirely to yourself, and keep him oblivious to it for the rest of your life. Haven't you heard, Lord Tinley? Your fiancée slept with His Grace, the Duke of Odessa, the day right after you got engaged. So don't you dare say you're the one for her."

He licked his lips in frustration. "Lucy, is that true?" He demanded, but when she gave him no answer, he shook his head. "Your silence says it all," he said sourly before storming off, and Lucy couldn't even stop him. As a result, she turned to me, glowering at me.

"Why did you say that?! That is a lie! I didn't sleep with Chester. I know what it looks like, but I've already spoken to my brothers about it, and they know the truth, so verify it with them if you need confirmation," she said frantically.

The smirk on my face grew. "Come on, Lucy. You don't need to deny it in my presence. I literally walked in on you and Bates."

"You don't know what you walked in on. I didn't sleep with Chester. I don't care if you are my sister in law or not. It was absurd of you to get mad at Xavier because of this whole first name versus title issue. As Queen regnant of Narnia I decree that Xavier, as my fiancé, will referring to other royals by their first names, _no exceptions_ unless I state otherwise. And you _know_ that only Peter can overrule this, which he won't. Whatever happens between Xavier and Chester, you will stay out of it, and that is final. My authority is above yours, and I get the final say."

Then she stormed off as well, and I realized that at the end of the day the toughest thing a pregnant woman can attempt to do is get a damn cupcake for herself.

* * *

~Xavier's POV~

Norwalk Palace was a large place and because I was so angry, I got lost on my way back to my guest chambers. But I supposed Lucy did not lose her way, which was why she had caught up with me sooner than I had expected. She grabbed my forearm with much force, and instead of forcing me to look at her, she stood right in front of me and stared at me so intently that I just could not look away.

"Xavier, please. Please let me explain," she pleaded.

"Explain?! There's nothing to explain, Lucy. I've heard what Gilda — oh, sod it — Queen Gilda said. Loud and clear. Did you really sleep with him, right after we got engaged?" He questioned irately yet looked to be in despair.

"No, I didn't sleep with him! I can't believe you'd rather believe what she says than what I'm saying. I swear!" She said defensively, looking me in the eye the whole time.

"If that's the case, why did she claim that you did sleep with him? What makes her so sure?" I folded my arms and frowned.

"Xavier, you know that Gilda doesn't like you, nor is she happy about our engagement, but whether or not I slept with somebody else, I'm the only one who knows the truth. She clearly doesn't. And I'm not even surprised anymore that she'd lie, knowing it would get to you, so that you'd leave me and therefore push me right into Chester's arms. Or bed, whatever. But I can tell you, for sure, that I never slept with Chester. I'm a virgin, and I still want you to be the one I have my first time with, on the day that I'm turning 16. Please."

"How can I even trust you anymore, or believe a word you say?" I sighed.

"You look me in the eyes and tell me if I'm lying."

I looked at her, examined the look in her eyes, inspected her facial expressions, but I was still hesitant to trust her as this was not the first time she had betrayed our trust. "I don't even know anymore."

"Xavier, please," she grasped my hands frantically, croaking.

I did not really know what to do. "Lucy, I'm going to need you to do something to earn my trust."

"I'll do anything, Xavier. Just don't...don't leave me," she nodded and pleaded. "Please, I love you."

"I love you too," I blurted before I could spout any more cold hearted words. "But if you want me to trust you again, you have to promise me that you won't see that contemptible Chester Bates again, from now on. Only then, will I find it believable that you are devoted to me, and not cropping up some romance with him behind my back."

"What?!" She whispered in shock. Her grip on my hands became feeble. She really did not expect me to be giving her an ultimatum, and frankly I did not see myself doing that either, but it was the only way, the only solution I could come up with, the only path we could go down.

"You heard me. If you insist on continuing to see him, then our relationship will come to an end. I will not allow myself to be cheated on, to know that you are being unfaithful but doing nothing about it. So it's your call, Lucy. Me, or him. You decide," I said dispassionately. "So," I continued after a pause to let her think this through. This could be the end of our love story, or just the beginning of it. I was letting her make the decision. "What's it going to be?"


	10. My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark

**A/n: Thank you EC, Anon, Guest, Eleni Archibald, Thefourpevensies, katines4ever, crown, Royal, PeterCaspianRlz, LOVEM, QueenElenaofnarnia, BlueSky, RedRose, Lillian, Candy, Daisy, Nicky, Emily, Narniafan, Bella, Emma, CairParavel, GoldenAgeNarnia, QueenLucyfan, Connors, Aslanmane, CorinQueen, Sue, InesS, KnightLawn, and all the other guests. :DDD**

* * *

 **(Norwalk Palace, Narnia)**

~Madeleine's POV~

The groom was exceedingly busy this evening as everybody wanted to dance with him and offer him their blessings and congratulations. As Caspian was occupied the whole time, it was not easy for me to get this opportunity to get close to him. Finally I could tap on his shoulder and say, "would the groom care to dance with me? Or should I beware for the bride might assail me if I were to step into a ten-mile radius of wherever you're standing?"

He guffawed. "Never change, Madeleine. Never change. I think I like your harmless humor just like that."

He did, of course, agree to dance with me. "So, Caspian Trastamara of Telmar is off the market now," I began lightheartedly, deciding that if I did not take this chance to make conversation with him, I probably would never get to do that tonight.

"So is Madeleine Wakelin of Bleckley," he replied breezily. "You're engaged now and when are you going to get married? Have you and Mitchell chosen a date yet?"

"We're thinking about a summer wedding. We think July sounds good," I answered.

"Surreal," he commented with a chuckle.

"Why?" I chortled. "Is it so hard to believe?"

" _Oui_ ," he said mischievously. "You just didn't feel like the type to settle down with anybody. You're more like the type to sleep around, and be friends with benefits."

I giggled. "I didn't expect to be settling down so soon either, but when you find the right one, you just don't want to wait much longer to get married. But if I had never met Mitchell, I would have been willing to give up a lifestyle of casual relationships and settle down with you. Though of course, it's nice too to just be good friends with you."

"I haven't seen you in more than a decade ever since my parents passed away. Have you had a lot of special friends?" He asked boldly yet playfully. "And who made you feel the most satisfied?"

I raised my eyebrows but I didn't mind answering that. "Physically, Peter. Emotionally, Mitch."

"So you have quite an impressive history of casual relationships. But now you won't be getting into any of those anymore. You'll be married and quite possibly a mother too, right? Bleckley needs its next Duke or Duchess."

I laughed. "Yes, indeed. Molly has been begging to be an aunt."

"Molly...Sutton?"

" _Oui_. Mitch's youngest sister," I nodded. I smiled to myself. When I first came to Narnia, I only saw a future with Caspian, whom I was not even in love with, but was determined to marry or at least court. Instead of going the way I had expected things to, I had a fling with the High King, a lot of sex, and in the blink of an eye I had fallen in love with Mitchell. Fuck all that shit about social status; Mitchell could be the poorest slave or the most powerful emperor ever, and I'd still love him as much as I did now.

"By the way," I added. "You'll make it to my wedding, right? I mean, I know of your voyage and all that."

"Oh, I'll be there. I've always thought that I'll be there when you get married, but _only_ if I don't have to be the groom," he joked. "But is that invitation only meant for me? Or is my wife allowed to go too?" He asked.

"If she promises not to crash my wedding, then sure, she can go as your plus-one. And even if I say no, I'm pretty sure Ines will plead with me and I'm pretty sure I'm going to relent."

"Ah, Kat will behave herself. Trust me. I know she spells trouble for you, but don't forget what my puppy eyes can do. She'll be on her best behavior. You can leave that to me," he said, grinning smugly.

I beamed. "Never change, Caspian. Never change. I think I like your harmless humor just like that."

* * *

~Lucy's POV~

As soon as Caspian and Katrina had left the party to spend their wedding night in the privacy of their bedchambers, I decided it was time for me to retire for the night as well. Greta had attended me, helping me get out of my fancy gown so that I could take a bath.

"It was such a lovely wedding, wasn't it, Queen Lucy?" Greta, still giddy and elated, spoke.

I smiled staidly as she stowed my dress away into my closet. "It was indeed," I nodded. I was pretty happy that my great friend and my former lady in waiting were married now. Of course it was great to have yet another co-ruler, unlike what most regnant rulers would say.

"I can't wait for your wedding now, Queen Lucy. His Grace of Tinley is a lucky man," said Greta sweetly, smiling.

"I can't wait either," I replied calmly, keeping the smile on my face even though my heart sank. "Thank you, Greta. It's late and we've both had a long day. You may go. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Queen Lucy," she curtsied and left. I proceeded to have my bath.

Speaking of Xavier, I had chosen him over Chester when faced with his ultimatum. As far as our upcoming wedding was concerned, of course he was the one I had wanted to marry, but I must also confess that right now, in this very moment, it was, regrettably, not Xavier that I wanted to be with.

Even though on the outside I had appeared to be meek and demure as I had agreed to Xavier's terms, the truth was that I had quite hated it when I was told what to do. He had no right to ban me from ever seeing Chester again. Not even my siblings, not even Peter whose administrative authority was supposed to be above mine as he was the High King, dared to tell me what to do. Of course I accepted Xavier's conditions, but I had never truly meant to follow through with it. No way. I was determined to continue seeing Chester. Just in secret. And I supposed I was just going to have to be more cautious than ever. Nobody could stop me.

Sighing and shrugging, while I waited for the water in my tub to be readied, I slipped into my robes and removed my makeup, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and proceeded to take my bath. After that, I dried my body and put on my skincare lotion. Once that too was done, I washed my hands clean. Randomly leaving the towels in the bathroom, I lied down on my bed in exhaustion, too tired to care that I had yet to put some clothes on.

This whole time, I could not stop thinking about New Year's Day, the morning in which I had nearly gone all the way with Chester. If only Gilda had not interrupted us. Naturally, I began to think about Chester's body, how fit he was and the heat radiating from his flesh. Soon, my thoughts darted to the lewd words he had spoken to me at Ed's birthday party. Damn; dirty talking was his talent.

At this point, my hands had decided that the wetness between my thighs was business that needed to be taken care of. This was not the first time I was touching myself. All the other times (at least in this lifetime) I was thinking about making love to Xavier, but tonight was an exception. This time I was thinking about Chester. I did not just want him on my mind; I wanted him in my bed, beneath my hot body, and most importantly _inside_ of me, filling me up with his every inch. I craved his kisses so much I thought I could go insane. People could die from being so horny. What was Chester doing now? Was he thinking of me?

When I came undone to the thought of him, I had called out his name, exactly the way he described it, as my whole body convulsed, and my back was arched in an angle that looked as if a demon was being exorcised from my body.

I withdrew my fingers slowly and got up, still heady from the sensations. I washed my hands clean once more and put my night clothes on. Suddenly sleepier than ever, I blew out the candles and slid under the covers.

Honestly, there was no way I was going to stop seeing Chester. Xavier was naive enough to think that he could control my actions. The most he could do was influence my actions. When it came to my thoughts, he was even more powerless.

I would not stop until I could claim Chester's body. I did not ask for much; just one night together, bottom line, would be pretty good. Gratified, I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

* * *

 **(Kinross Woods, Narnia)**

~Darren's POV~

Pursuant to 3 months of hard work, the new trade route linking Millville and Kinross could finally be in use. Of course, celebrations were in order. Julian had decided to organize a feast in his residence, Kinross Woods. All our friends were invited, which meant that plenty of courtiers were there, as well as merchants who would surely benefit from the new trade route and the convenience that it had brought. The royal family, however, could not make it as they were all in Anvard awaiting the birth of a royal baby. Even Caspian and Katrina would be there right after their honeymoon.

Right now it was early February, and from what I heard, Archenland would have an heir apparent (and Narnia an heir presumptive) in about a fortnight's time as the baby should be due halfway through the month. And frankly, I still got secondhand embarrassment when I thought about the time I tried to hook up with the Queen.

Still, Duchess Lavinia, Sonya and Chelsea would be staying in Narnia and attending plus co-hosting this party, albeit being ladies in waiting to the new Queens. I supposed the Archenlander Court would just arrange for some maids to attend Their Majesties.

Normally, I liked throwing parties and attending them. Yet the only thing I did not much appreciate about this banquet was that _Everett_ , Lord Courtenay, was here. Julian was confident that there was an altruist in Everett, but that did nothing to lessen the scorn I had for him once he had exposed the selfish side to his abhorrent personality.

"Good evening, my Lord," said a woman who was approaching me. If I were not previously acquainted with her, I would have thought that she was a noblewoman. But she was not fooling me, because I knew who she was. And she was no aristocrat; she was a courtesan.

"Mistress Diane," I said, pleasantly surprised. "I didn't expect to see you here."


	11. Stranger

**(Kinross Woods, Narnia)**

~Darren's POV~

"Mistress Diane," I said, pleasantly surprised. "I didn't expect to see you here."

She smiled. "It's my business place, my Lord. But I'm dressed like this because...well, I was invited to the party, by extension. Whoever got an invitation was allowed to bring an escort, and I'm the escort."

"I see," I nodded. "Perhaps you could introduce me to whoever you're escorting, later?"

"Sure," she said gladly. "But, I must say, my Lord," her tone turned more and more lewd. "I've missed you. It's been quite a while since we last...ah, well, you know. I don't mind you knowing that when I was serving some...less skillful customers, I thought about you and how...dexterous you are. It's not often I get to serve a man whose performance in bed as anywhere as satisfactory as yours, my Lord. I'd really be more than happy to serve you, my lord marquess," she said alluringly, then leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Your brothers end up as dukes. You have yet to own a dukedom. Don't you wish you can own something they can never have? That something...is right here."

I smiled, though mentally snickering at the ambisinister men, because I was just an arrogant prick like that. "Well, Diane, I am pleased to hear that the thought of me gratifies you, but I'm sorry; I'll have to turn you down. I already have something my brothers don't have. Someone, actually. You see that blonde girl over there chatting with Lady Bulloch?" I pointed at Chelsea and signaled for Diane to look in my courter's direction. "She and I are courting. I know you don't mind that, but I do. Thanks, but sorry."

She pouted but did not press me into anything. "Oh, well," she said. "I guess that's fine, just too bad for me that lately the best customers I had have decided to commit themselves to long term relationships. Getting married, and into courtships."

"Too bad for you? Why, can't your…close friend or whoever you're escorting satisfy you? Need me to give him some tips?" I jokingly offered. "Tell me about him. You know we all love some good gossip."

"Oh, hmm…his name is Brett. No title. A baseborn, actually. His surname is Dyne, but that's his mother's surname. Due to his illegitimacy, he does not bear his father's surname. He's the natural son of the late Count of Cumberland with his mistress, who died giving birth to Brett. When the 9th Countess of Cumberland found out that her husband had had an affair with a common woman that resulted in a bastard baby, Her Ladyship got angry and refused to allow Brett to be raised in her land, let alone her mansion. The late Lady Cumberland, albeit the heiress to the county, had no children of her own, but Lord Cumberland was reluctant to let go of his child, especially when Brett was motherless now. So His Lordship sent Brett away to the Bulloch family, as he was friends with the 9th Duke and Duchess of Kinross; that's Duke Julian's late parents. Their Graces at that time were kind enough to take Brett in. In return for raising Brett, Lord Cumberland promised that when Brett grew up he would work as the steward to the Bulloch household here in Kinross Woods. As a result, he and the 10th Duke Julian were pretty much brothers, raised alongside each other. I'm surprised His Grace has yet to introduce Brett to Your Lordship. But no matter. Here he is now," Diane explained patiently, and smiled at the brown-haired, green-eyed man coming our way.

"Excuse me," he spoke, glancing between me and Diane hesitantly. From the way he was standing, it looked as if he was deliberately trying to wedge his way in between me and Diane. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I just thought you'd like something to drink," he said to Diane, handing her a goblet which she accepted.

"This is good," she smiled after downing half of her drink.

I grinned. "If you're not shipping your wine from my hometown, you need to reevaluate your life decisions, seriously."

Brett – I wasn't sure if we had officially made our acquaintance yet but – turned to look at me curiously. "This is shipped from Millville, naturally. That where you're from?"

Diane beamed and intervened, placing her hand on Brett's shoulder casually, while he seemed to appreciate and cherish this gesture more than anybody normally would. "Brett, I'd like you to meet His Lordship, the Most Honorable Marquess Darren Holloway-Ridgeway of Millville," she said in one big breath, then smiled at me. "Hope I got that right. Darren, this is the one and only Brett whom I've told you all about. It was kind of him to invite me to the party. It's nice to be one of the…actual participants."

"I see…" Brett muttered. "Well, it's nice to meet you, my Lord," he said monotonously, bowing reluctantly. I could immediately tell that meeting me was not as nice, for him, as he claimed. Perhaps he did not appreciate that Diane had told me all about him.

"It's nice to meet you too," I said politely anyway.

"Is it?" He challenged. I was taken aback by the sudden change in his tone and mood. Why did he suddenly get so defensive? "I mean, I'm sure Diane here has told you all about my…ahem, parentage. So, where's that distasteful look? Where are the spiteful remarks? Come on, I'm waiting to be ostracized," he said bitterly, waiting and expecting me to develop a discriminatory take on his existence simply because he was illegitimate.

"Brett, nobody's ostracizing you; His Lordship isn't going to do that," Diane hissed under her breath and nudged Brett.

"No, just you wait and see. He's just going to be another stuck up, haughty, condescending highborn who thinks I'm a vermin that needs to be exterminated," Brett shot back adamantly. "There are too many people like my father's wife.

"You're wrong," I piped up. "I'm not about to judge you or discriminate you. I'm sorry that you have to suffer a lot of unkind words because of who you are, but I'm not one of those people. I really don't care about the legitimacy or illegitimacy of people I associate with."

"Oh, really?" Brett eyed me cautiously and distrustfully. Diane, as if trying to rebuke him or warn him, placed her hand on his arm, while he placed his hand on top of hers. "Prove it," he demanded.

And so, I told him about Sophia, whom he had heard of and met a few times because she was, apparently, courting Lord Courtenay now. (I did not trust her or our baby with Everett, but I did not want to interfere with her choices.) I explained to him that I had an illegitimate baby on the way too, and I treat other bastards the way I would want my natural son/daughter to be treated. Gradually, he seemed to accept me with more ease, little by little. Perhaps having sensed that I was talking about her, Sophia – about 6 months pregnant now – had joined us. Then I saw Chelsea approaching us too and…wait, what? Why was she with Everett Courtenay, out of all people? Concerned, I frowned at them.

* * *

~Chelsea's POV~

While Darren was chatting with other guests, and both Sonya and Lavinia were dancing with their husbands, I was eating a canapé and looking for a drink that would go well with it. Just as I was about to make my mind up and decide between a goblet of butterscotch schnapps or a goblet of cinnamon schnapps, a familiar male voice behind me had caught my attention and made my whole body freeze. Somebody was calling my name. It had really been quite a while since I last heard that voice. It had been about 3 months now, I believed.

I didn't want to turn around because I knew that I would come face to face with Everett Courtenay, my ex, but I did whirl anyway. The last time we saw each other was right outside Warrick's, a restaurant in the Telmarine Castle. It was not at all a pleasant meeting, for he and Darren got into a huge fight that would have gotten a lot bloodier had Ruben not intercepted. Lady Sophia also almost got hurt. I shuddered at the thought.

Everett smiled a little at me, and said it was nice to see me here, but I simply looked at him emotionlessly. I was not _thrilled_ to see him, obviously, and I did not think he blamed me for that.

"You look great, by the way," he continued. I guessed he sounded earnest enough with that compliment, but then at first when he was wooing me into a courtship with him, he also sounded sincere. I could no longer trust him.

"Thanks," I said coldly, not really meaning it. "Have you got something to say to me? Because you look like you do, but if that's the case, then seriously you should really just leave me a note and then get out of here as soon as possible. Since, you know, that's the best way of communication," I added sardonically. I was even about to walk away from the beverage bar, but he stood right in front of me, therefore blocking my way.

"Chelsea, please, just a few minutes. I don't want to fight, and I also understand if you don't want me in your life anymore, but I feel like I should speak with you about our relationship, apologize to you and discuss our breakup," he explained promptly.

"You mean when you dumped me," I pointed out dispassionately.

"Well, yes, about that," he gulped apologetically, which surprised me to know that he was capable of remorse. "I…I didn't really mean to cause you pain and all those problems. I admit, I only wanted a relationship with you not out of genuine affection but as a means to an end. It was the easiest way for me to get lands and titles that I thought I deserved. Perhaps I don't, because I was very selfish and only saw what I wanted to see in you, so I wasn't able to accept you for who you are. But I know now that I'm not the right person for you. Still, I feel like you deserve an apology and much more."

I sighed. I didn't quite know what to make of this; if he hadn't broken up with me, I probably would still be trying to conceal my feelings for Darren. If he hadn't left me, I wouldn't be in such a fulfilling and healthy relationship with Darren right now. I believed everything happened for a reason. Well, most things anyway, even though I usually didn't know what the reasons were. But I just wanted to move on from him and get on with my life with Darren.

Still, I didn't really want to hand out forgiveness like spare change, especially when Everett really did hurt me, and when he abandoned me, completely destroying my self-esteem, it really did cut me deep.

"Do you ever regret being in a relationship with me?" I queried, although I was not really interested in knowing the answer. "Because I do. It was time wasted. On someone who wasn't even worth it. You were such a coward; did you know that? You just ran away. Why did you have to leave a note? Why couldn't you just have said it to my face? Was it because you thought it might hurt me less if you weren't saying it to me directly? You and your twisted ways…" I shook my head. "Kat was right from the start. You were just using me to achieve what you wanted. You never gave me the love and care that I needed. Well, only a little, when I discovered that I did have a father and a family after all, but only because my late uncle happened to be your late cousin," I stated. "I see that throughout these 3 months you've been making some positive contributions…collaborating with the two ducal families of Kinross and Millville to set up a trade route. I don't know why you're doing this, because I'm not sure how exactly you can benefit from this, and it's uncharacteristic of you to be an altruist, from what I know of you, if I know you at all. But I'm not going to question your motives. Perhaps you really are changing for the better, since you were decent enough to at least offer me an apology. But I don't trust you, and I don't know if you're merely apologizing to absolve yourself of a mental burden, knowing I _could_ have died because of you, had it not been for Kat and Darren. And, well, Hermes too. So, _if_ my forgiveness is what you are after, words won't cut it. They don't mean a thing to me anymore, and they won't cover it. You can, however, prove to me with your actions that you truly are sorry and remorseful."

He nodded solemnly, seeming to agree with what I had said, even though I had no way of being sure. "Alright," he said quietly. "I'll do that, yeah. I, um…you may find it difficult to believe that I care, but uh…I just wanted to say that…I'm happy for you and…your courter. Truly."

I looked less aloof now. "Well…likewise. I'm glad that you found Lady Sophia. I guess, now that you and Her Ladyship are courting, perhaps Darren and I will be seeing you and Sophia a lot more. You know, because of the baby. I guess you and I can consider the baby a…stepchild, to a certain extent," I shrugged.

"Yeah," he replied, glancing in Sophia's direction. It turned out that she was chatting with Darren and two other guests, one of them being…whoa, I didn't expect this, but Mistress Diane. The other one was a tall man whom I was not acquainted with, but Everett and I decided to approach the four of them and join their conversation.


	12. Tiny Human

**(Anvard, Archenland)**

~Chronicler's POV~

On Valentine's Day, each royal couple spent the day differently. Queen Susan and King Tyrone traveled to the suburbs where they had spent their honeymoon, but went back to Anvard by sundown.

King Caspian and Queen Katrina visited Camden, with Queen Gilda's recommendation. It was a marquessate that belonged to the High Queen back when she was just Crown Princess. But soon enough it would belong to her baby once he/she was born.

King Peter brought Queen Ines to Milton, a county that used to belong to Queen Helga. Last year, on the exact same day, Peter brought Ines to where the fountain where he proposed courtship and subsequently marriage to Helga.

Queen Lucy brought Duke Xavier to Clayton, a marquessate that once was under the possession of Prince Corin Colson, Lucy's 'first love' back in the Golden Age. Surprisingly, for Lucy, Valentine's Day was spent with Xavier and only him. Although Duke Chester returned the book, _The Pevensie Dynasty_ , to her, he did not actually get the chance to hand it to her directly. He only gave it to Lady Greta, one of his courter's younger sisters. Once the Valiant Queen got the book back from her lady in waiting, she realized that slipped inside the book, when it was flipped open to a specific page, was a note hidden. She picked it up and squinted, frowning in suspicion. Reading the note thoroughly, she found that Chester was asking her out on a date. He had really got guts; he was actually inviting her to his new residence, Odessa Manor. After an agonizing mental debate with herself, she decided to ignore Chester as she did promise Xavier that she would not see Chester anymore. Yes, she was very much attracted to the Archenlander Duke, but no matter what she felt for him, she never _un_ fell for Xavier.

As for Gilda and King Edmund, they decided that their safest option was to remain in Anvard, because the baby's due date was really soon. But at night, when the High King of Archenland decided to spend a few minutes in his office preparing for work (as he had the usual council meeting to attend, tomorrow early in the morning), Gilda instead decided that she was completely spent already. She needed to go to bed and rest, because as their tiny human grew less and less tiny, it was exhausting her even more quickly. So as soon as Edmund was off to his office, Lady Louisa had arrived to attend Gilda. Her Ladyship had spent today in Anvard Palace with her courter as well, so that she could be around if and whenever Gilda needed her. Yep, she was just a responsible handmaiden like that.

With much effort even with Louisa's assistance, Gilda changed into her nightgown and attempted to lie down, but before she could even properly lie down on the bed, she cringed. "My back hurts so much," she said, clutching her kidney area. But she shook her head once the pain (that she thought would just be momentary) had passed.

"Very soon you will have your baby in your arms, Queen Gilda," said Louisa in reassurance as she stowed Gilda's dress back into the closet.

"Well, I sure do hope so, because my baby is getting so heavy," Gilda smiled and lied down properly. But then she felt a sharp pain in her back, which made her freeze, eyes widening.

"Queen Gilda?" Louisa frowned, having noticed that the High Queen had stiffened. "Are you alright?" She inquired, approaching the bed. "Should I...should I send for His Majesty the High King?"

"No, it's fine..." Gilda answered tentatively, trying to get into a comfortable position, but then she felt another wave of that pain, and whimpered.

"Queen Gilda!" said Louisa worriedly. "Is it the pain again?"

"It's...getting stronger..." Gilda groaned.

"Your Majesty, do you think you might be in labor?" Louisa enquired anxiously. She had many younger sisters so she could still faintly remember the symptoms and signs that her mother was showing when she was about to give birth.

"I don't know," Gilda replied tensely. "I've never had a baby before, nor have I seen anybody give birth."

"Perhaps I should notify His Majesty immediately," Louisa offered promptly.

"No," Gilda said nervously. "Fetch my lady mother first, please. She'd know what to do."

"Right away, my Queen," Louisa bobbed a small, rushed curtsy, and hurried out of the room.

Luckily, Queen Dionne's chamber was not far away. When Louisa showed up, Dionne was accompanied by her elder sister, Jennifer Parr, 9th Countess of Chatham, who was also one of her ladies in waiting. They were chatting with their husbands, King Nain, and Gordon, Count of Chatham who was also the Crown Equerry.

"My Lords and Ladies," said Louisa urgently, and explained to the four of them what was happening. Acting promptly, Dionne and Countess Jennifer went to attend Gilda immediately, but not before instructing Louisa to inform Edmund and his side of the family. Nain and Count Gordon also were on their way to fetch the midwives and physicians.

* * *

~Gilda's POV~

"Sweetie? Tell me how you're feeling; Lady Louisa told us you were in pain. Where does it hurt?" Mother inquired solicitously once she and Aunt Jennifer arrived at my room.

"Mainly my back. The pain comes and goes but with each time, it gets stronger. And then there's this," I lifted the covers off my body to reveal that there was a puddle between my legs.

"Looks like your water just broke," Aunt Jennifer concluded after exchanging glances with her sister. "You're in labor, my dear niece."

"Oh no. I'm scared. Very scared," I blurted, shaking my head in fear.

"Alright, first of all you need to relax. I'm here, and so is your aunt. We will be staying with you the whole time; you won't be alone, I promise," said Mother, taking my hand while leaning down to kiss my forehead, trying to instill as much confidence in me as possible.

Then Father entered my chambers urgently, followed by Uncle Gordon, who reported that the midwives and physicians were on their way, bringing everything they need. Well, I sure hoped they could get here soon.

While my aunt helped make me more comfortable with pillows and stuff, I felt yet another contraction and squeezed my mother's hand. "Take a deep breath, dear," she advised. "Come on, do it with me," she said, and took deep breaths with me together, so that I could follow the pace of her slow yet deep breathing, supplying sufficient amounts of oxygen at a pace that could calm me down a little. As soon as the pain faded, I was a bit more relaxed.

Then Edmund bolted into the room, running like he had stolen something. He dashed to my bedside in no time and peered at me, looking jittery. "You alright, love? You and Tiny both?" He inquired. Both of us were sweating.

"The pain," I answered feebly. "It's getting more and more unbearable."

"Don't worry. I'm here now," he said in reassurance, but I didn't know which one was more difficult now: quit worrying, or actually giving birth.

A minute later, the midwives and physicians got here, while Edmund's side of the family also arrived with Louisa. There were so many people in the room right now and they were all goggling at me like I was an exotic beast, which made me feel even more uneasy. Finally one of the contractions was so painful that I screamed and cursed.

"It gets more colorful," whispered one of the physicians, referring to my language probably. But then she continued. "My Lords and Ladies, I'm sorry, but there are too many people in this room at the moment and it's too crowded here. So may I ask that only the women who are related to the baby by blood stay in the room, and all the others wait outside temporarily, please?"

Promptly they all complied with the physician's request. Everybody else, including Edmund, waited outside after dropping a few words of encouragement to me. Now those family members remaining in the room were my mother, my aunt, Susan and Lucy.

* * *

~Chronicler's POV~

Soon enough, the midwives began passing towels and buckets of hot water. They were right to say that Queen Gilda's language would only get more and more colorful as labor continued.

"This baby is arriving at not an ideal timing," Queen Susan whispered to Queen Lucy. "Tyrone and I were in the middle of something when we were notified of this emergency."

"Consider yourself lucky that you're of age to even get to get laid at all," said the youngest Pevensie a bit disgruntledly.

Hours had passed and things were progressing as they should. The contractions were getting more and more frequent. Gilda screamed once again, squeezing a hand of each of her sisters in law that she was holding. Countess Jennifer, conjured a handkerchief and used it to wipe the beads of sweat off her niece's face.

"When's it going to be time for me to push?" Gilda panted, breathing heavily. "I feel like I'm going to die of exhaustion."

"Very soon, Queen Gilda. Please, hang on," said one of the midwives after examining Gilda's cervix.

"Why's it taking so long?" Lucy inquired, frowning in worry. She did not appreciate seeing her friend and sister-in-law in so much pain and for so long.

"It's normal, Your Majesty," Queen Dionne replied. "The first child usually takes longer. I was in labor for 12 hours before Gilda was born."

"12 hours?!" Gilda squeaked. "I don't think I'd make it."

"Well, my Queen, I think you'll make it. But I don't think you'll need 12 hours because it's time to push now," said a midwife urgently. "Are you ready, Queen Gilda?"

Gilda nodded faintly.

"Good. When you feel a contraction, push with all your might," the physician instructed.

That happened immediately. Gilda howled in pain but also tried to channel all her energy into pushing, mustering all the strength she never thought she even had.

"Wonderful, Your Majesty. Keep pushing," the physician said in encouragement. After another agonizing push, she could see the baby's head emerging. With another push, the head was out. However, the pain was too overwhelming for Gilda that she'd rather just kill herself. Fresh tears poured out from her eyes and she screamed pleadingly. She thought she could not do it anymore; she just wanted to give up.

"You've got to keep going, or the baby will suffocate!" Dionne exclaimed, refusing to let her daughter give up.

"What?!" Gilda shouted and sobered up all of a sudden, and pushed with all her might.

"Almost there!" Susan added. "You can do it!"

"Come on, Gilda, your baby is counting on you!" Lucy said helpfully, allowing Gilda to grasp her hand as tightly as she could with every push.

"One final push, my Queen! Just one more!" The midwife announced. Gilda gave it everything she had, using up every ounce of energy she had in her.

After that, silence.

And then an infant's cry filled the room.

* * *

~Gilda's POV~

"It's a boy!" The midwife announced as she began to clean the baby, only a minute old.

"A son! A grandson of my own! Oh, my sweet daughter, I am so proud of you," my mother exclaimed in joy as I smiled weakly, both in delight and in relief that the most painful part was over.

"We have a nephew then," said Susan to Lucy, the two Pevensie sisters grinning from ear to ear.

"And I a great-nephew," Aunt Jennifer beamed at me proudly.

"Is he alright?" I inquired, speaking with some difficulty as my throat was very hoarse from the screaming now.

"He's perfectly healthy too, our newest Prince," said the midwife blithely.

"He's actually really cute," Lucy said to me, smiling so radiantly.

"I'm glad," I replied in shorter sentences as I was incredibly exhausted. I didn't even know it was possible for someone to be so exhausted yet still stay alive.

"I'm so happy to be an aunt again," Susan chirped.

"You did a great job, Gilda," said my aunt, as she tenderly and helpfully brushed my messy hair out of my face.

"We've got to tell Edmund and the others about it," Lucy added.

"Let's get Gilda ready first. She needs to take a bath and we need to change these sheets, then we can let the rest of the family meet the newest member," Mother suggested.

After cleaning up, Edmund was let in. He was wearing on his face the biggest smile I had ever seen. "We have a son," I told him jocundly. He approached me with a face full of hope and jubilant spirit as I let him hold our son in his arms. He sat down on the side of the bed and goggled at our baby.

"Well, hello there, you tiny, tiny little human," he cooed so very gently. "I'm your father," he said grandly, fiddling with our baby's small hand. "My, my! Aren't you the tiniest human I've ever seen!"

Turning to look at me, he grinned and said, "I knew you could do it. I'm so happy we have our family now, Gilda."

I chuckled. "Next time we have a baby, you're going to be the one giving birth and all that."

He laughed. "I'm positively excited that you're already thinking about next time."

Then Aunt Jennifer brought my father and my uncle to my bedside. "I heard I have a great-nephew," said Uncle Gordon enthusiastically.

"Indeed," Edmund replied on my behalf. "Here he is, this tiny being."

"This is wonderful," said Father happily. "Does my grandson have a name yet?"

"Yes he does have a name, actually," I nodded at my father and beamed at Edmund. "Edmund, would you like to do the honors?"

"Oh, yes. Everyone! Our new prince has a name," he announced grandly. His name is _Tristan_ Colson-Pevensie."


	13. Parenthood

**(Anvard, Archenland)**

~Gilda's POV~

The news of Tristan's birth had spread really quickly. By now, everyone in my Court here in Anvard Pass was informed of the delightful news. After everybody had dropped by to check on me and see baby Tristan for the first time, we had mutually agreed to get some sleep and some food too, since they, too, like me, had stayed up all night and skipped breakfast. It was almost teatime when we woke up. Edmund had decided to bring Peter and Susan to the room we had prepared for Tristan so they could have a look, so I was alone in my room when Katrina and Ines came to pay me a visit.

"So how are you feeling right now?" Katrina inquired as they took their seats.

"Still incredibly sore, but this kind of pain is already way more bearable than what I've had to endure this morning," I explained. "The physicians were here from time to time to check on both me and my baby. They make sure everything is fine so that within a week I can get out of bed and life should return to normalcy," I added, beaming at Tiny when he burped.

"He really is tiny," Ines grinned at her nephew and commented.

"In fact it's even surreal to think that we were all once this tiny," I smiled.

"G, we're actually here to present a gift for the newest member of the family," Ines explained as she and her sister presented me with a blue coat and a pair of boots.

"We hope you like them," Kat added pleasantly.

"Oh thank you! These look really nice," I grinned gratefully. "Did you make these yourselves?" When they nodded, I thanked them again. "Honestly, I have no clue how to make these, because all my life I've had people do it for me."

"We can teach you if you want," Ines offered.

"Do you want to have children someday too, Ines?" I enquired.

"Oh, I'd very much like to be a mother," Ines answered. "And it's perfect that Peter wants to be a father too. I know he's had some painful memories about...childbirth, but hopefully I can dilute them or at least balance them with some pleasant memories too."

"Would you want more children, G?" Katrina inquired.

I beamed at my son in my arms who was asleep by now. "I guess I do. But not so soon. Oh, but what about you, Kat? You want to have children?"

"Well...I'm not sure. I'm a bit daunted by the idea of giving birth. I've heard you scream last night and this morning. We all have. And it was scary," Katrina shuddered. "But I also haven't forgotten that I did marry the King of Telmar and Narnia, who needs an heir to the throne. So I guess I'm bound to be a mother, at least for this nation's sake."

"And when you do give birth, I will be there with you, along with Aunt Eileen," said Ines merrily to her sister. When Ines got married to Peter, her uncle and aunt became Sir Hugh and Madam Eileen. And then when Katrina got married to Caspian, their uncle and aunt became Lord Hugh and Lady Eileen.

"That's a relief," Katrina beamed.

By the time our conversation was about to come to an end, Edmund had returned to our bedchambers, followed by a servant who brought us dinner.

"Well, we're going to visit again tomorrow, is that alright?" Katrina enquired.

"Sure, I will be here waiting. Not going anywhere fast," I answered jokingly.

"Alright then, we're going to go have dinner as well," Ines replied.

"You and baby Tristan take care, G," said Kat kindly.

"We will," I nodded.

"But what about me?" Edmund asked jokingly, pouting, causing us to laugh.

"You'll take care too, Just King," Ines chuckled.

I waved at my two newest co-rulers of Narnia as they exited my room, followed by the servant who had delivered our dinner, who closed the door.

"It's actually quite interesting to watch you have friendly conversation with the two of them," Edmund pointed out as I handed Tiny to him. "I still remember a time when you used to scorn them."

"And yet look where fate has taken us," I grinned. "I guess you were right, from the start, in saying that the three of us, Queens consort of Narnia, would end up as friends."

* * *

~Edmund's POV~

Right before dinner, as my elder siblings had wanted to have a look at Tristan's room, I brought them there.

"So what do you think?" I inquired.

"It's perfect," said Su, sniffing.

"Su, are you alright?" Pete enquired cautiously.

Su shrugged. "I guess. But it's sad to know that I will never get to decorate a baby room because I won't ever have a baby."

"What are you talking about?" I snorted lightly.

"Yeah, both you and Tyrone are young and healthy so I wouldn't be surprised if you two have plenty of kids. You'll see," said Pete in reassurance.

"Exactly. And Cair Paravel was made for little royals to be running around," I added.

"I know you two say these things because you are my brothers, so you think you're supposed to say reassuring things. But I can't be fooled. You don't know how many times Tyrone and I have tried, even during the days of the month on which I should be fertile. And yet nothing happens. I think there's something wrong with me, and it's not fair. Let's be honest, Ed. You and G had _one_ night together on a vessel, and she gets pregnant right away. How come? I'm starting to think that Aslan is punishing me," Su replied in discombobulation.

"Su, I don't think so. Aslan doesn't always give us everything we want, unless we earn it. We have to fight for it," Pete pointed out.

"Heh, it's easy for you to say, since clearly you are capable of siring children. You were a father once, so you're in no position to complain," Su shot back immediately.

Pete's eyes were sewn shut for a moment before snapping open. "True, I was a father for like, what? 2 seconds?"

Su gasped. "Oh, by the Mane. Pete, I'm so sorry. I just…" she shook her head. "I didn't mean –"

"I know you didn't mean it like that. But it still hurts. I lost my daughter the day she was supposed to be brought into this world. And now, seeing my brother, now a father, with my sister in law and my nephew…if I tell you that it doesn't bring back any poignant memories at all, then I'd be lying. But I'm not about to let these heartrending sentiments take away or override what is truly important: for the first time, I'm an uncle, and I'm truly happy for you and G, Ed," Pete sighed at me. "Really I am. I don't want you or anybody else in the world to have to go through what I've had to suffer."

I remained silent for a while even whilst they chatted about parenthood. Albeit the happiness that being a father had brought, I had to admit that I had overlooked that it could remind my brother of the pain that he had to deal with when he was in a similar position, especially when Gilda was giving birth and we were all outside waiting.

"Look," I piped up. "I guess I shouldn't have brought you two here. I'm sorry that you two had to –"

"It's not your fault, Ed. I just desperately want to be a mother so badly that I was completely overwhelmed with it, and I've said things that I regret. So I should be the one apologizing, really," said Su ruefully.

"It's alright, Su. You'll be a mother someday, sooner or later. Things like this always happen when you least expect it," I said kindly. "According to my experience, at least."

"And according to mine too, actually," Pete nodded in agreement.

"I hope it isn't too early to call dibs on names," I winked.

"Whoa, I'm calling dibs on the name Daniel. I'm naming my firstborn son after our father, just so you lot know," Pete said quickly.

"Oh, that's fine. That wasn't high on our list of potential baby names anyway," Su smiled firstly at Pete and then at me. "By the way, Ed, Baby Tristan is incredibly lucky to have a great father like you, and a lovely mother like G. But of course, he is even luckier to have a wonderful aunt like myself!"

"And the thing that baby Tristan should consider himself luckiest for is having a magnificent uncle as myself," Pete said pompously as we giggled.

"Do you two plan to have more children?" Su enquired.

"Well, yes. Even amidst the pain of giving birth, G was thinking about her next child, so I'm very honored, actually," I answered giddily. "I think maybe Tristan's younger sibling will be…well, perhaps about 2 years younger than him."

"I see. Well hopefully Tristan can have a Pevensie-Harrington cousin first. And what about you, Pete?" She then asked.

"Of course! Preferably a brood of sons and a brood of daughters. At least a family of six, like us," Pete answered energetically. "One thing's for sure, Tristan's going to have plenty of Pevensie cousins, one way or another."

"Maybe Lucy will give Tristan a number of Pevensie-Ridgeway cousins too, in a couple of years' time, I bet," said Su happily.

"Let's not forget the surrogate cousins from the Farmington-Trastamara side too," I stated with a smile.

"One big happy family, the royal kids of Narnia," said Pete the High King proudly.

* * *

~Lucy's POV~

When G had to take a bath, I took over for a little while and checked on baby Tristan in his nursery, to free up some of Edmund's time so he could handle a little bit of work.

Xavier was with me today. "The infant prince really likes his youngest aunt," he commented with a grin as I rocked Tristan in my arms.

"Oh, of course he does. How could he not?" I said singsong, cooing at my nephew. "Pity he'll be in Anvard most of the time, rather than at Cair Paravel with the rest of the paternal side of his family."

"Visits will be frequent," said Xavier in reassurance. "You can go to Archenland as often as you please, and I'm sure Edmund as well as _Queen_ Gilda will be traveling to Narnia every other month, at least."

I bit back a sigh. "You can call her Gilda. I've decreed it. She should keep in mind that my authority is above hers."

"Because you are a Queen regnant while she is a Queen consort. Yes, indeed, but that's only the case in Narnia. We are in Archenland, however, and at her Court. She is the High Queen regnant here, so if she doesn't appreciate the way I'm addressing her, I would rather comply with her wishes rather than disobey them. I'm still her subject, at least until you and I are wed," he replied with a shrug. "Tristan seems rather…well-behaved, for a newborn."

I laughed. "Well what else did you think he could do?"

"Cry. A lot," he chuckled.

"Well, yes, but mostly when they're hungry or when they've…excreted," I answered informatively. "Would you like to hold him? You're about to be his uncle."

He looked hesitant. "You sure that's a good idea, Lucy?"

"Yes, of course. Why shouldn't I be?"

"Well, I doubt your sister in law would be pleased if Her Majesty were to enter the room and see her son in my arms."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. Here," I said as I placed Tristan in Xavier's arms before he could refuse.

"Whoa," said Xavier as he tried to make both himself and my nephew comfortable. "He is heavier than I thought he'd be, I mean for such a tiny human."

Baby Tristan let out a happy sound once he had settled in Xavier's arms. It was so adorable.

"Well, that's a good thing. It means he's a healthy baby, and Gilda's milk is helping him grow and develop into a strong boy," I beamed. "Xavier, do you want to be a father?"

"Yes, of course. I quite like children. I think it would be nice to have a son, so that I could name him Reginald, after my father, just like how my father named me after his. It's kind of an intergenerational tradition, actually," he remarked.

"That's nice. I want to have children too. I don't have a preference for gender, but if I were to have a daughter, I'd like to name her Greer," I smiled.

"Oh, after your childhood friend in your world?"

"Yes!" I nodded appreciatively. "You remember!"

"Of course I do," he smiled. "You told me about her when we were on a picnic in Duchess Garden, of Millville Manor."

"Sweet," I replied happily and leaned in for a kiss. And when we kissed, baby Tristan made another happy sound. Xavier and I giggled at him. It was so cute to see him smile.

Then the door opened and Gilda walked in. From the look on her face, she was not at all expecting to see Xavier. Her expressions swiftly changed into one of displeasure. "Why are you here? Who gave you permission to hold my son?" She demanded, glowering at him.

"I did," I said pointedly.

"Oh," said Gilda icily. "Well, Lucy, you are in no position to give permission, so if you still would like to ever see your nephew again, I'd advise you not to presume too much on your identity as the child's aunt," she snarled, and snatched Tristan away from Xavier's arms so abruptly that had either of them been slightly less careful, they would have dropped Tristan. The rough and abrupt movement had caused Tristan discomfort. As a result now he was crying and wailing and kicking.

"Wonderful! Look what you've done," Gilda snapped at Xavier, then turned to glare at me. "Lucy, when you have children of your own, you can do whatever you want with them, but Tristan is _my_ son, and he will not be _touched_ by anybody who is _not_ family. No visitors will be allowed without my approval. Is that understood?"

As Gilda was speaking rather loudly and fiercely, poor baby Tristan got frightened and was crying even more loudly now. It seemed his cries had reached his father's ears. Edmund burst into the nursery frantically. "What's going on here?! Is Tiny alright?!" My brother asked worriedly, quickly taking Tristan in his arms and attempting to soothe his son.

"Edmund, listen to me. Your wife has lost her mind. She went all temperamental because I let Xavier hold Tristan for a while," I clutched my brother's arm and explained quickly.

Edmund cursed under his breath. "Gilda, I don't understand. What's the problem? Xavier means no harm to Tiny!"

"Well, I don't care. I don't like him, so as a mother I have the right to decide who my son gets to be around. You weren't the one who bore the baby for 9 blessed months, so you don't get a say in this," said Gilda darkly to all three of us. "Now _give me the child_ , Edmund. He needs to be fed."

"This is absurd," I exclaimed and shook my head at Gilda. Hoping that Edmund would be able to knock some sense into his wife, Xavier and I left the nursery.


	14. Long Live

**(Anvard, Archenland)**

~Chronicler's POV~

Ever since Prince Tristan was born, High Queen Gilda and High King Edmund had received felicitations from basically everybody, even Tomas, the Emperor-Tisroc of Calormen, and his fiancée, Dowager Princess Carissa Steel, who had recently given birth to a son, Crown Prince _Khaled_ of House Aixinjueluo.

Now that Gilda was allowed to get out of bed, she was eager to walk around because she hadn't done that in a long time. Still, the physicians had advised Her Majesty to refrain from work altogether.

February was nearing its end, and though everybody at the Archenlander Court was in good spirits, that didn't seem to prevent bad things from happening. One day, when King Nain was holding his grandson in his arms, he felt unwell. Baby Tristan ought to be grateful that his father had managed to pick him up just in time, as his grandfather had fainted. Everybody was scared and worried for their King emeritus now. It was common knowledge that the King's health was diminishing (rather rapidly too), and he had been fainting rather frequently, yet this time, he was unconscious for a particularly long period of time.

As a result, the most learned physicians from all over Archenland and Narnia were summoned to Court. His Majesty's chief physician & medical consultant was the old but definitely professional Doctor Linacre, who had known Nain the day the royal was born. Doctor Linacre was also the one who had medically verified Nain's infertility. Therefore he was the Colson family's most trusted physician at the Archenlander Court. (The royal family also treated him very well, so that he would not expose the secret of Gilda's illegitimacy, as he knew of Nain's infertility.)

Doctor Linacre had brought bad news to the royal family. He was not optimistic that Nain Colson would recover, this time. The mood of the Court immediately dropped, from the rapture and cheer due to the birth of Prince Tristan, to solemnity and despair and dismay and pessimism. According to Doctor Linacre's prognosis, King Nain might not be fortunate enough to survive to see the third month of the year, as his health only got worse and worse even when it was not thought to be possible.

Today was the last day of February and so those closest to King Nain were anxious to see to it that he could make it to March 2305. In the royal lounge, Gilda was holding her baby in her arms, accompanied by her husband. They were waiting for any news about her father's health. Rather than hearing from the physicians that had gathered in the room, she had heard from a guard, who informed her that King Nain was requesting an audience with her. Therefore quickly handing over the baby to Edmund, Gilda had paced briskly to her parents' bedchambers.

When she got there, the physicians present, including Doctor Linacre, were shooting apologetic looks at her as they bowed. She sighed inwardly and looked down for a moment, before going to her father's bedside, sitting next to her mother who was holding his hand.

Gilda noticed that her father's eyelids were fluttering shut and open rapidly and weakly. He could only let out a faint grunt — that sounded like a vaguely happy sound — to acknowledge his daughter's presence.

"Father, please don't talk," Gilda advised once she sat down. "You're too weak," she added as fresh tears rushed to her eyes.

"We all know...I'm about to...leave this world...don't have much time...need to tell you...secret...important..." He croaked between ragged breaths. He felt his wife squeeze his hand but he simply couldn't muster enough energy to squeeze her hand.

Queen Dionne signaled at the physicians for them to take their leave, but only temporarily, so the Colson family could have a moment of privacy that was very much needed as it might well be their last.

"Father, you can tell me about it some other time. When you're feeling better and energized," said Gilda pleadingly, shaking her head like a petulant child and roughly wiping away her tears with the back of her hand.

"Nay," he continued breathily, in broken sentences. "Now's the time. My daughter...I love you...and I am proud...of the woman...you've become. Archenland...will be in good hands." He had to pause to take deep breaths with much difficulty, which only made his wife and daughter cry even harder. "I'm thankful...to be able to see...my grandchild..." He sighed. "Even though...he is not my...my flesh and blood."

Gilda stopped sobbing for a moment and frowned at her father in bewilderment. "Father, you're delirious. Is it the illness making you confused? You should rest, by the Mane! Of course baby Tristan is your flesh and blood. Just a fortnight ago you were exhilarated to have a grandson."

But King Nain shook his head feebly. "Only in my heart...you are my daughter...and Tristan my grandson."

Gilda looked up at her mother in puzzlement. "I don't understand."

"I love you...as if you...were my own," he tried to explain but his volume was dropping lower and lower till it was a whisper. "I raised you...but I am...not your father. When I...when I married...your mother," he took some deep breaths again and clearly was in pain. "She was already...pregnant with...another man's child...you."

Gilda could not believe her ears. She had desperately wanted to believe that her father was just not in his right mind due to his health condition, but she also doubted that he would be telling jokes under these circumstances. She also studied her mother's facial expressions and she realized that her father was telling the truth.

"What?!" She blurted in disbelief. "How...I don't get it. How could this have happened?!"

"Please, let me explain," said Dionne tearfully. "Before I got married, and back when I was merely the younger daughter of the 8th Count & Countess of Chatham, I fell in love with another man. I had a relationship with him and I got pregnant with his child: you. We were about to get married and start a family together, but that was also when your maternal grandparents decided that I ought to become the wife of the Crown Prince at that time, so that I could be the future Queen consort of this nation. Saying no was not an option for me."

"Whoa, so you're telling me that you just fooled everybody? Lied to everybody and tricked them into thinking that I was really a royal child?" Gilda spat. "Unbelievable!" She added in disapproval.

"Child..." Nain pleaded. "Please...don't be angry...with your mother...it was my idea." He then, struggling, explained that he was infertile, and added that Doctor Linacre right outside the room could attest for that. "So you see...I could never...produce an heir...to the throne."

"And therefore my mother's pregnancy came at the right time," Gilda finished the sentence for her dying father. Well, 'father'. "I see. Well, that's great. I'm so happy to know that I don't actually have a drop of royal blood after all."

"Gilda, don't say that, please," Dionne said apologetically. "You're still the High Queen of this nation. Nothing's changed."

"Nothing's changed?! Oh, sure, Mother," Gilda shot back at her sardonically.

"You are still...my daughter...no matter what..." Nain managed to choke out a few more words. "Don't forget that."

"Why couldn't you have told me about it sooner?!" Gilda demanded angrily and embarrassedly, in mortification and in humiliation. "Does my 'real' father know that I exist?"

Dionne nodded. "Yes. Of course. He was so happy when I told him that I was carrying his child, and he was ready to spend the rest of his life with me. But when he knew that I couldn't become his wife, and when Nain spoke with him, he accepted the offer and allowed you to be raised as a princess and the future Queen. Because that's the best future he can possibly want for his daughter."

"I trust him..." Nain even found the energy and breath to add. "He will take care...of you and...your mother."

"Well, who is he? Do I know him?" Gilda inquired urgently, almost stomping her foot in impatience.

"Yes," Dionne confessed with an uneasy gulp. She had been hiding it from her daughter for more than 17 years, and now it was the time for the truth to be unraveled. "It's...Sir Silas Seymour."

Gilda gasped sharply. Any louder and she would have attracted the immediate attention of the physicians stationed outside. Many things made sense to her now: why Sir Silas had saved her when she had fallen off her horse, why he had spoken to her with that attitude that was unbecoming of a criminal a few months ago when she had accused him of various crimes, and why her mother was so defensive about and protective over him. Yes, it all added up now.

"Him?! Silas Seymour?!" Now it was Gilda's turn to croak. " _He's_ my father?! Out of all people, it just _had_ to be him?! Wow. I really can't believe it. This is just..." She shook her head and swatted her tears away again.

"He is a good man," said Nain weakly, whispering again, but unfortunately Gilda did not pay too much attention to what he was saying as she was too engrossed in the sudden surge of mixed emotions to listen intently. "He loves you...like I do...I love you..."

Out of betrayal and hurt, Gilda had raised her voice and that had easily drowned out Nain's volume. "That man is my real father?! And Ralph, his brother...you mean you almost killed my uncle, Mother?! You signed his damn death warrant; what the..." She couldn't compose her thoughts anymore or remain collected. "I can't believe this; who else has knowledge of this?!"

"Your husband is aware of this," Dionne answered timidly.

"Edmund knew and he didn't tell me?!" Gilda practically howled.

"I asked him not to. That was something that only your father and I should be telling you about," said Dionne right away.

"My father?! Which father?!" Gilda blustered. "The one who caused my birth, or the one who raised me?" She glanced at Nain, but a chill ran down her spine and both women in the room had noticed that Nain's eyelids had stopped fluttering all in all. "Father?" She gulped, her throat dryer than ever. "Father, are you alright? Please?" She grasped his hand and tugged at it. But the King was not responsive.

Dionne scuttled to the door and called for the physicians. Doctor Linacre knelt by the bedside and checked King Nain's breathing and pulse right away, while the two Queens were biting on and chewing on their lower lips in anxiety.

Then Doctor Linacre rose to his feet solemnly, turning to his Queens in no less somber a mood. Clearing his throat, he said, "I'm sorry, Your Majesties. The King is dead. Long live the High Queen."

Gilda threw herself into her mother's embrace and they hugged each other and cried, sobbing in grief. The King was dead. Long live the High Queen and long may she reign.


	15. Father

**(Anvard, Archenland)**

~Gilda's POV~

Ever since the devastating death of my 'father' had been publicly announced, my Court was plunged into mourning. The dispiriting and dreary mood of all the courtiers set the sepulchral atmosphere for the funeral. My Narnian co-rulers had decided to stay in Anvard to attend the funeral before they had to set off to Calormen for Tomas' engagement party. Right, that had reminded me — my family and I could not make it to His Majesty of Calormen's engagement party, due to the loss of our King. I would have liked to offer my congratulations and blessings to Tomas and to his fiancée Princess Carissa, as well as meet the new Prince Khaled, but the timing just was not right. I guessed I would have to send an envoy so someone could represent me.

A lot of my subjects were here to pay their respects to the King that they loved and supported. After his funeral and burial, I decided to summon my mother as well as Sir Silas Seymour, who was apparently my father, for an audience in the royal lounge. I was accompanied by Edmund the whole time, because I needed him now more than ever. We had left Tiny with his great aunt Jennifer and great uncle Gordon for the time being.

When my mother and...well, my father apparently, arrived at the lounge, I was in my usual attire, all dressed in black, the color of mourning. It had made me look considerably aged, but 17 was too young an age to lose a 'father' at. Of course when they walked through the doors, Sir Silas did not forget to bow and address me formally.

Once the doors to the lounge were closed by the helpful guard stationed right outside, Edmund had motioned for Mother and Sir Silas to take their seats on the couch opposite to the one Edmund and I were sitting on. Huh, my lady mother and Silas Seymour. I really could not see the two of them together. The thought of them as a couple was ludicrous enough for me already, and now I had to think that I was the result of their romantic relationship...ew. Just, ew.

Nobody dared utter a word at the moment, and all silently waited for me to be the one to speak first. "So all of you here in this room had lied to me," I began. "Or at least concealed the truth from me," I frowned at my husband. "I honestly thought that we wouldn't keep any secrets from each other. You're the last person I thought would hide anything from me. I'm disappointed, Edmund. Really I am."

"I wanted to tell you, Gilda, really I did. It wasn't exactly easy for me to stop myself from telling you the truth, you know. When I saw you at my birthday party with chatting your cousins and having not the smallest clue that you were even related...it was hard. But I did promise not to tell you. Your father...well, I mean King Nain...he wanted to be the one to break this to you," Edmund explained.

"But I'm your wife, Edmund," I sighed. "How long have you known this for?"

"Well...I think about half a year now?" Edmund answered hesitantly, even somewhat timidly.

"Oh, Aslan, help me," I buried my face in my hands.

"When your mother came to me to ask me to rescind the charges against...Sir Silas, she told me the truth," he added.

"That makes perfect sense of why you brought your old friend, Her Grace the Duchess of Millville from Narnia, all the way to Anvard just to prove him innocent," I said to my mother skeptically, jabbing a finger at Silas Seymour unkindly when I mentioned him.

"Amelia, Lady Millville, yes," Mother admitted with a nod.

"You know, I just find it all pretty ironic. 7 months ago I had Ralph Seymour march up to me in the Throne Room, deeming me unfit to rule, and named his young nephew, Lord Corin Seymour-Courtenay, as the better candidate. Oh, and by the way, Lord Corin happens to be my cousin too; how delightful is that! Oh, well. I guess Ralph Seymour was right all along then, eh? Because Corin Courtenay does have more royal blood than I do. At least he's a Courtenay. Ah, stupid me for ever thinking that I'm a Colson. He deserves to sit on the throne. A lot more than I do. I shouldn't even have a crown on my head because I'm a bastard and bastards don't inherit jack squat," I said with a clipped accent.

"My child, please..." Silas piped up, and immediately stepped on a nerve. It only riled me further when he tried to reach out for my hands. Nobody should get to call me 'child' or 'my child' but my _father_ , King Nain Colson.

"Don't touch me," I snapped, and he backed off right away. "I am not your child."

He put his hands in the air in surrender. "Alright, I understand that, but I just —"

"And you are not my father. The man whom I consider my father was buried just a few hours ago," I snarled, and nobody dared protest. I could tell that my mother had originally intended to protest, but she was held back by her 'lover'.

"I don't think Queen Gilda should be blamed for feeling or reacting this way," he said to Mother, which frankly surprised me a bit, but I did not let it show. I did not think my face showed much emotion these days except for when it was scrunched up and tears were falling from my eyes.

"Your Majesty," he continued boldly. "I do not blame you at all because you are right. It was King Nain who raised you into this capable ruler and strong woman that you are today. I will be forever thankful to His Royal Majesty for that. Really, I couldn't pick a better man to be your father. And even though you do not view me as your father, I do view you as my daughter, and I also want you to know that I never, not even for one second, forgot about you or stopped loving you. My biggest wish is that one day you can come to think of me as your...other father too."

 _You can wish all you want but that's just all that it's going to be: a wish, and never a reality_ , I thought to myself. I was about to say that aloud to him, but that sounded too harsh, so I bit my tongue, and instead asked, "if you claim to love me and my mother so much, then why hadn't you stayed with us instead?"

"Because I knew you could lead a better life as a royal than with me. Because I was socially below your mother and a marriage between us would have been looked down upon by society. Because I knew that if your mother had disobeyed her parents' wishes, she could be disgraced and disowned by them. I wouldn't want her to be disinherited and shamed. Don't think that I was happy to give away the woman I love and the unborn child, my Queen. Had it been another man who had put forward this request to me, I would have said no resolutely. But it was the Crown Prince at that time, and His Royal Highness was kind enough to not send me far away from Court. He allowed me to stay within a safe distance from you, so that even from afar I could watch you grow. So I accepted his offer. And like I said, even after all these years, I never stopped loving you or your mother," he explained with absolutely earnestness.

"Gilda, I'm so sorry that we've had to hide this from you for so many years, but your father, King Nain, wanted to be the one to tell you all about this, and he loved you till the day he died. He gave you his throne, his nation, and most importantly his trust & confidence. Because he believed in you. He saw a Queen in you," my mother added.

"He _made_ a Queen out of me," I replied.

"Because he trusted you with his nation. You are not a bastard, Gilda. You are the Queen of Archenland, daughter of King Nain Colson, and it's going to stay this way," she added, a constellation of tears on her lashes.

"That sounds uplifting, but there's still the concern of people finding out about my illegitimacy..." I said gloomily.

"Nobody's going to know, but us. The 4 of us here," Edmund said confidently, while the others nodded in agreement. "And Doctor Linacre."

"So I have to lie, like all of you did, without any qualms?" I stared at the three of them. "Even lying to my own cousins? Cousins that I didn't even think I had until, what, a couple of days ago? Seriously, I chose my own cousin to be my ambassador to Narnia, and she doesn't even know that we're related. Poor Abigail. Same goes with Carl, the next Crown Equerry after Uncle Gordon's retirement. Not to mention Marchioness Chelsea. You want me to lie to my family and to my subjects."

"Gilda, I'm sorry, but that's what we have to do if we want to keep Tristan's rights to the throne secure," said Edmund ruefully.

"Ah, well, that's hilarious, because he doesn't even have any rights to the throne to start with," I said sardonically.

"Look, you don't want our kid to be pulled off the throne, do you? What do you think our subjects will do when they find out that you are not really the daughter of their King? Your father fought long and hard to keep this secret a secret because he wanted _you_ to be the Queen of this nation, because he thinks that _you_ are the ruler that this nation needs. So if you expose this secret to everyone, then all the faith that he had instilled in you would just go to waste, and his efforts to guard this secret from the rest of the world would be in vain. He would have died for nothing."

That did it. I began to see things differently.

"Now that you are a mother yourself, perhaps you can understand my viewpoint when I was expecting you," said my mother to me. "I'm sure you want the best for baby Tristan as well. He is a Prince of Archenland as long as you keep it that way, and no matter what he will always be a Prince of Narnia from Edmund's side. He will be the heir apparent of Archenland and our Crown Prince, our future King, as well as the heir presumptive of Narnia for now. He has such great prospects and I wouldn't want to take that away from him."

I sighed and spoke my mind. "Fine, then. I will keep quiet about it because it would be what my _father_ would have wanted, and because I'm thinking of Tristan's future. But that doesn't mean I'm going to forgive you for your lies so easily," I said sternly. "It's time for my baby to be fed now. Edmund?"

My husband and I stood up and he escorted me out of the room, my mind a mess.

* * *

After Tiny had been fed, I made sure he had burped and then I put him to sleep, very tenderly and carefully placing him back into his crib. I knew that if I had woken him, he would cry. Luckily I did not wake him this time, and he slept like a baby. Oh, wait. He was a baby. Oh, well. Let's just say he slept peacefully.

As I watched him sleep, I made a promise to myself that I would never leave my baby. I would be a responsible parent, and raise him to be the kind of King that Archenland needs, so he could rule this nation like his maternal 'grandfather' did. He'd be Tristan II, King of Archenland.

I turned around and was about to leave the nursery. But I felt a gust of wind behind me, which was strange, because the windows were closed and properly locked. I whirled again and found that we had company.


	16. Family

**(Anvard, Archenland)**

~Gilda's POV~

Aslan was here. I could not believe it. Well, I meant I could, but I was very surprised and even gasped.

"Daughter of Eve," said the Great Lion with His majestic, gravelly voice. "Do I have your permission to see your infant son?"

"Of course, Great Lion," I nodded, but gulped uneasily. Right away I felt bad about being so overbearing just now. Perhaps Aslan could not stand how imperious I was. That was why He showed up to scold me.

"I am not here to reprimand you, dear one," He said, as if He could read my mind. Pretty sure He could, though.

"If not to rebuke me, then what?" I inquired daringly.

"If you realize that you need to be chided, then you already know what you did wrong, and therefore no need for me to admonish you," He replied naturally. "Now, your father — you know which one I'm talking about — who art in my country right now, has asked me to assure you that he is well. He would also like to know that you are well too, but he expects you to be going through a difficult time as you are experiencing some...as some would call it, 'daddy issues'."

"Yes, Your Eminence," I nodded. "Really, my life was just turned upside down. Father turned out to not be...Father. I'm relieved to know that he is in your country right now, a peaceful place, but it doesn't really lessen the pain and grief that I've had to deal with. I wish he could still be here with me," I sighed. "Honestly, Aslan. I feel cheated. Finding out about my true parentage and learning that I'm actually illegitimate...well, it doesn't exactly make my day. I just keep asking myself, why had my parents waited till now to tell me about it?"

"Why do you think, dear one?" He replied.

I shrugged. "Because ignorance is bliss, I guess?"

"They wanted to protect you. Just as you want to protect your son. From a burden you'll have to carry for the rest of your life," He explained, glancing at Tiny who was still sound asleep. "It is not entirely bad. You lost a father but also gained one. Some people had never even had a fatherly figure in their lives. I trust you have 2 cousins with that case," He pointed out.

"Marchioness Chelsea and Lord Corin," I said in realization. "Oh. I didn't notice that before."

"Silas is a good man, like your father said. Unfortunately he did not have the chance to be a father to you, but at least allow him the opportunity to be a grandfather to the tiny human here," Aslan advised.

"Hey, sweetheart," said Edmund who had just entered the room to check on me and Tristan, though he probably had a lecture prepared regarding how I talked to Lucy and her fiancé or whatever. Startled, I turned around. "I thought I heard you talking to someone?"

I told him about Aslan, who had just vanished. Edmund did have a lecture prepared but he probably did not get to finish it; he did not need to. Like the Great Lion said, I already knew what I did wrong. As of now, I believed I was a little more open to the idea of letting people see Tiny, even those that I did not exactly like.

* * *

A new day. I did not wake up feeling refreshed or energized. Nothing felt or sounded or seemed invigorating at all. Particularly not work, but as usual Edmund took over while I attended to Tiny.

For the past week, whenever I looked myself in the mirror, I would feel as if I was looking not at myself but at a woman at least twice my age. Losing a loved one had really aged me significantly.

From the reflection, I saw Edmund approaching. My hollow, lifeless eyes stared back at his reflection, rather than turning around to face him directly.

"Are you alright?" He inquired tenderly.

"No," I answered candidly.

"Well," he replied with a sigh. "I suppose it's alright to feel that way. There's so much on your mind, I know."

"There is," I sighed too and turned around to face him, finally. "What's on yours?"

"Well, I was just thinking about the conversation we had the other day with your parents. I realize that Sir Silas, as your father —"

"Please don't say that," I said abruptly.

"Say what?"

"That's he's my father. Because he's not, as far as my feelings are concerned."

"But, Gilda, there are some things that we can't change. Wouldn't it make life so much easier and relations less stiff if we just accept it? Trust me; it'll make you feel a lot better. And you might not like him at first, which is understandable, but there's still a chance that he is a good person at his core; we just need to get to know him better. I think everyone is worthy of a first chance, some even a second."

"That's like saying that he's a hack but I'll eventually get used to it," I replied stubbornly, not wanting to agree with him.

"I just think that we should at least try to not...shut him out."

"What are you trying to say?"

"A good way to start would be to let him see Tiny," he said, but it was an outrageous suggestion. My first instinct was to gasp and glower at him ferociously, like a lioness protecting its cub.

"Edmund, have you lost your wits?! I will absolutely never let that man be anywhere near our baby," I insisted adamantly.

"But, Gilda, whether we like it or not, he is Tiny's grandfather. And to think that if it weren't for him saving you that time you were falling off your horse...our son might not even be here," he pointed out, and sometimes I hated it when he was right. "So I really don't think he would try to do anything to hurt Tiny," he explained. "I mean, Tristan's lost a grandfather but now he can gain one, so let's not deprive him of that, alright?"

I breathed in deeply. "Alright then," I blurted before I could change my mind about it or have any regrets. "I'll allow him to see Tiny."

He kissed me softly. "I'm proud of you for doing the right thing. Just...don't glare at Silas Seymour. Or at least try to avoid doing that. Be friendly. He means well."

* * *

( **HMS** _ **Dawn Treader**_ )

~Chronicler's POV~

As the royal family of Archenland couldn't make it to the engagement party held by Emperor Tomas Tisroc and Dowager Princess Carissa, High Queen Gilda and High King Edmund had decided to send Sir Chester Bates, 1st Duke of Odessa as their envoy and representative. His Grace was the perfect candidate because he was the High Queen's best friend, and also because Tomas was already acquainted with him. They had first met when Lord Odessa, along with Gilda's aunt and uncle (Jennifer Parr, 9th Countess of Chatham, and Gordon, Crown Equerry), had escorted Gilda — only the Crown Princess and Marchioness of Camden at that time — to Tashbaan to be courted by the two Princes of Calormen. The Duke was also present at the fake wedding ceremony between Tomas and Gilda.

As King Nain's death was a rather last minute ordeal, Queen Lucy had not expected Duke Chester to be part of the crew sailing to Tashbaan, Calormen on the beautiful Dawn Treader. When Her Majesty spotted him boarding the vessel, she frowned and questioned, "Chester? What are you doing here? Who let you on board?" She had sincerely and desperately hoped that her fiancé, Duke Xavier, would not walk in on them and see her talking to Chester.

Chester then explained why he was here. "I thought you'd be happy to see me," he smirked cheekily, thinking it would charm Lucy, but it did not quite, as Lucy merely huffed.

"Does Caspian know that you here?" She queried suspiciously.

"Yes of course His Majesty does. I need the approval of the owner of the ship, don't I?" Chester shrugged.

Lucy placed her hands on her hips. "I bet you offered to be Gilda's envoy to Calormen, just to tease me and upset Xavier. Since, you know, your full-time hobby is to torment us and tear us apart," she said sourly.

Chester snorted flippantly. "You think so? Well I'm only appointed to be an envoy within very short notice, but I did as Colson asked anyways because we're best friends, and also because she's going through a lot at the moment already so I'd rather just do what she needs me to do. So you're wrong, Lucy. For your information, not everything is about you. So you can get off your high horse and stop putting yourself in a pedestal," he said, and went upstairs to his own room.

Lucy wondered how in the world she could even be attracted to this man.

* * *

The trip to Calormen went rather well. Duke Xavier didn't much appreciate being in the same place as his archenemy, but he didn't grumble about it because at the end of the day he was the one that got to be with Lucy.

Right now, it was lunchtime, and Duke Chester decided to have a chat with the Captain of the ship, Viscount Drinian. It seemed they had got along, in spite of the differences he had with the Captain's son, King Tyrone.

Inside the State Room, also known as the Stern Cabin, the Narnian party had gathered and were chatting about the upcoming eastward voyage that King Caspian had been planning for over a year now.

"You mean the one meant to find the Seven Lost Lords that once served your royal father before they got banished by Miraz?" King Tyrone inquired.

"Yes. Quite loyal courtiers they were," Caspian nodded. "I'm planning to set off on the first day of the fourth month of the year."

"Do you know yet how long the journey will last?" Queen Susan enquired.

"Well, according to my calculations, if we're on time, we'd probably be back by September. This is our route, in fact," reported Caspian, conjuring a map. Rolling it open, he explained that his route would cover the Seven Isles, the Lone Islands, an island thought to be owned by a magician and a horde of minions (but this was never confirmed), the Kingdom of Galma, the Kingdom of Terebinthia, Burnt Island and an island attached to it that did not have a name yet, and finally the island at the furthest point to the east on the map. It did not have a name either, but it was rumored to be the closest stop to where Aslan's Country could be found.

"Oh, as far as Madeleine and Mitchell have told me, their wedding is going to be held in early July, in Bleckley of course. We should be able to make it there," said Queen Ines in delight.

Queen Katrina did not particularly fancy the idea of attending the wedding of her archenemy, but she would be there anyway. And maybe there was something in it for her too, since once Madeleine marries Mitchell, she would have Telmarine citizenship which would make her Kat's subject. And what the Queen would not do to have the Duchess curtsy at her. "So I guess you and Peter will be participating in the voyage," said Kat to her sister.

"Yes," King Peter nodded. "We were actually thinking about our honeymoon too. Madeleine had insisted that we spend our honeymoon in Bleckley, and we reckoned it would be a good idea, since your parents spent their honeymoon there too, right?" He asked Caspian, who nodded in response.

"So you will stop at Bleckley, Terebinthia for about...a month and a half?" Katrina inquired.

Ines nodded. "While the rest of you can proceed with your journey eastward."

"Just be sure to pick us up when you stop by Bleckley again," Peter added.

"I'm sure we'll all be there for the wedding anyway," said Lucy.

"That can work," said Caspian in approval. "Now what about you two?" He turned to Susan and Tyrone.

"We're planning on staying, actually," Susan revealed.

"Because we want to...well, see if we can give Tristan a cousin," Tyrone explained.

"Ah, I see. Any children you two have will displace Tristan's place not just in the line of succession to the Narnian throne but also as heir presumptive," Caspian replied.

"But I guess that means we won't need a regent," Xavier piped up.

"That's fine by me," said Caspian. "Lucy?"

"Well, I'm going, of course," she grinned. "Could Xavier join us too?"

"Of course," Caspian beamed, and so did Lord Tinley. This was the first ever long distance voyage His Grace was about to embark on, and he was pretty excited about it.

"And could Chelsea & Darren be part of it as well?" Katrina requested sweetly.

"Certainly, sweetheart! The Dawn Treader has plenty of rooms to accommodate all our friends," Caspian said affably.

"Ah, voyages. Love them. Missed those we went on, on the _Splendor Hyaline_ though," Lucy added.

"It's a pity Edmund and Gilda couldn't have joined us," Katrina said.

"True, but with the latest events...I doubt they'd be in the mood for a vacation. Especially since they now also have a baby to take care of," Xavier replied.

The 8 of them continued to chat about their upcoming voyage when the door to the cabin had burst open and Chester burst in. "I'm really sorry to interrupt, but the Captain Drinian has instructed me to alert Your Majesties. Some of our sailors had just hauled up a drowning boy from the waters," he reported breathlessly.


End file.
